


Blind Date

by CatWinchester



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Blindness, F/M, Imagine Loki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-05-31 06:23:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 45,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6459331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatWinchester/pseuds/CatWinchester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Saga was blinded in a freak accident at Stark Industries and ever since, Tony Stark and the Avengers have been helping her. Well, they think they've been helping, actually they've been holding her back, refusing to let her learn to be self-sufficient. </p><p>Loki finds himself imprisoned in Stark Tower but when the Avengers have to leave, Loki finds a way around their security and encounters the blind doctor. He quickly finds himself intrigued by her and unlike her friends, he doesn't go out of his way to "help" her perform simple tasks. </p><p>Both misfits in their own way, they quickly form a strong bond but needless to say, the Avengers don't take kindly to the new friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on an Imagine Loki available here (will contain spoilers for the plot) - http://imagine-loki.tumblr.com/post/138294969221/imagine-being-blinded-in-an-accident-while-helping

** **

**Chapter One**

Loki was bored, and a bored Loki is never a good thing.

Usually confined to the 35th floor, Loki had discovered a way out a week ago and now that the Avengers, his keepers, were gone, some sort of mission on the other side of this rock, Loki was able to come and go as he pleased.

As he went floor to floor, examining the building, he was surprised to find someone left behind, working in a glass fronted laboratory-cum-office. She didn’t notice him and having been mostly alone for the four weeks he’d been here, Loki felt the need to be interact with someone; even if they just ended up trading insults, it was better than nothing.

The doors whooshed open almost silently and the woman looked up.

“Who’s there?” she asked.

Loki froze in place, wondering why her eyes focused near him rather than on him.

“Tony, if this is your idea of a joke, I’m not above hiding prawns in your Iron Man suit again.”

Loki kept perfectly still and after a few moments of listening intently, she evidently decided nothing was there and turned away.

“Jeeves, where are we on the simulation?”

_‘The computer model has finished running, Dr Lang. The addition of vibranium decreased the efficiency by nine percent.’_

“Okay,” she thought for a moment then began speaking softly to herself. “We need to find a way to stabilise the alloy and absorb the vibrations without losing its structural integrity. Maybe I’m going about this the wrong way. Jeeves,” she spoke up. “I want you to run the model again, this time with five, ten and fifteen percent lead alloys. It’s a soft metal, it should absorb some of the momentum.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Loki watched, fascinated as she reached for a cardigan, her hand feeling around for it, rather than just grabbing it.

His luck here hadn’t been wonderful so far but things might just be changing. Not only did he have a way out of his prison, he evidently had discovered a blind inhabitant of the tower. This was perfect as it allowed him to be with someone else, without the tedious business of actually having to interact with them. Even better still was the fact she needed to talk to her computer rather than typing, it meant she spoke her thoughts aloud and that provided a nice background chatter for Loki.

He silently moved deeper into the room and found a chair, watching as his new pet, Dr Lang the computer had called her, crossed the lab to a kitchen area. She didn’t even have to feel her way, so clearly she was used to moving around in here.

He watched as she filled an electric kettle with one cup of water from the tap, then she reached for one of three canisters, tracing her fingers over something on the lid before she opened one and added a teabag to a slightly larger cup than the first one, then she made her way to the fridge and retrieved a carton of milk, sniffing it. The kettle boiled and she added the water, just the right amount to leave room for a dollop of milk still not risk spilling any.

Loki was impressed with her ingenuity, expecting the use of boiling water to be too difficult for someone without sight.

She went back to work and Loki listened intently, eventually learning that she was working on new form of metallic armour that would absorb shocks without transferring the energy to the person inside the armour. It was primarily for Tony Stark’s suits but could easily be used for an armoured vehicle.

“Okay, Jeeves,” the doctor stretched. “I want you to order a seven and nine percent aluminium alloy and the eleven percent lead and have them shipped to the testing lab. I want the progress reports and comparisons to pure vibranium, and alert me as soon as they’re typed up, don’t wait for them to be submitted.”

“Of course, Dr Lang.”

“Thanks, Jeeves.”

The doctor headed towards the door calling, “Come on, Buddy.”

A yellow dog approached her and nudged her leg.

“You okay?”

The dog barked softly but Loki could tell it wasn’t a real canine but a robotic entity designed to look like an animal.

Loki followed them out of the lab and took the elevator up to the thirty ninth floor, heading to a communal living area, much like the one on his floor. The whole way, the dog stayed by her side, just touching her leg with his body.

She got a glass out from a cabinet, less certain here than she had been in the small lab kitchen, then she made her way to a mini fridge and took some juice out. She turned to the glass but the side of her hand hit it, sending it crashing over and shattering against the marble counter top.

“Shit!” she cried, then took a few deep breaths. “Jeeves?”

_‘Yes Dr Lang?’_

“How broken is the glass?”

_‘Analysing… The glass has shattered, into multiple pieces, I doubt you will be able to clear it up alone.’_

“Is any of it on the floor?” she asked, and Loki realised her feet were bare.

_‘No, the floor is safe to walk on.’_

“Can you send the Dummys down to clean it up, please?”

_‘They are on their way now.’_

“Thank you, Jeeves.”

She unscrewed the spout on the juice carton and drank straight from the carton, then she put it away and felt around in the fridge.

“God damn it!”

_‘Is something wrong, Dr Lang?’_

“One of the uncaped crusaders ate my food again. How many times do I have to say ‘I’d like to learn to cook for myself so please don’t touch my food or I won’t know what everything is’ before it sinks in? Do they not realise I put brail labels on it for a reason?”

 _‘I can tell you what foods you have, Dr Lang,’_ Jeeves offered.

“Thank you, but I’m actually trying to learnt to be more self-sufficient. Besides, my ham is gone and I wanted to make an omelette… Or maybe more of a quiche or Spanish omelette…”

The cooing sounds of Tony Stark’s robots sounded as they entered the room and Loki noticed they were mechanical arms labelled DUM-E and DUM-Y.

“Hey guys, can you clean this glass up for me?”

They cooed and the doctor took that as an affirmative.

“Thank you. Buddy and I are heading to the shop, we won’t be long.”

Loki followed them to her room down the hall where she attached a coat and harness to the dog, then she slipped into a pair of ballet flats, pulled a coat on and left. Loki went as far as the lobby but he couldn’t follow any further as he hadn’t learned to override the external building security yet. Once she had scanned her finger prints he could try and slip out with her, but there wasn’t much room in the revolving door compartments and he was almost certain to be discovered.

He wasn’t worried that this woman could harm him but he knew that if he harmed her, Thor and the others would never cease searching for him. His magic was still very weak, far too weak to be able to hide from Heimdall for very long.

“Jeeves?” he spoke to the building’s artificial intelligence as he sat on one of the reception chairs and waited for her to return.

_‘Yes, Sir?’_

Loki had used his magic to tamper with Jeeves programming so it now thought he was Tony Stark. Stark would never check up on his own movements, so he would never learn that Jeeves thought there were two of him. As for movements he recorded for Loki, he had Jeeves copy the first ten days of his movements, overwriting the dates so they appeared to be new data.

“Tell me about Dr Lang,” he instructed the new artificial intelligence.

_‘What would you like to know?’_

“Who is she, how old, where is she from, what does she do, why is she living here?”

_‘She is 31 years old, from England. She is a robotics expert who was hired by SHIELD and she still works in that field, but for Stark Enterprises now. Mr Stark invited her to live here after she was wounded during a training exercise.’_

“How long as she been unable to see for?”

_‘Approximately eight months.’_

“The robotic dog?”

_‘You designed that for her, Mr Stark, when you realised there was a waiting list of more than a year to obtain a guide dog.’_

“Why does it look like a canine?”

_‘Because Dr Lang did not wish to draw attention to herself with a robotic dog. She said she finds it hard enough to navigate the world, without being stopped every five minutes by curious bystanders.’_

“Who would be so uncouth as to stop a blind person attempting to go about her day?”

_‘The buildings other occupants.’_

“Ah yes, the innocent staff who had to be evacuated before dangerous me could come here,” Loki drawled. “So why is she blind?”

_‘Her retinas detached following an accident.’_

“So she has no sight at all!

_‘She has no sight in one eye and only 7% in the other eye.’_

“So she can see?”

_‘Light or dark, very large shapes, but that is all.’_

“After being so grievously injured, why is she here and not with her family?”

_‘She is not close with her family.’_

“Why not?”

_‘Her father is in the Army and was stationed abroad for much of her childhood. Dr Lang was sent to boarding school and often spent the holidays with her friends and their families.’_

It must kill such an independent woman to suddenly be unable to do basic tasks, he mused.

She returned soon, carrying a net bag of shopping. She placed her hand on the scanner, moving it around until she found the correct place and it beeped, then the revolving door sprang to life, turning until her compartment was inside and she walked across the marble lobby. Loki noticed that the dog seemed to guide her directly towards a lift, leaning closer to her to adjust her direction slightly. She felt around on the wall until she found the call button and heard the soft ding that signified an elevator had been called. Since the building had been evacuated for Loki’s arrival, the elevator hadn’t moved and the doors opened immediately. Loki slipped into the carriage at the same time and watched as she felt the buttons, then pressed 39.

He wondered how she knew which buttons to press.

“I don’t know who you are,” she suddenly announced to the elevator. “But if you follow me around tomorrow and don’t introduce yourself, I will be pissed and will not be held responsible for my actions.”

Loki wondered how she knew he was here, he was naturally stealthy, after all, and could sneak up on anyone.

Was she was bluffing, he wondered. She didn’t say anything more so he assumed she was bluffing. Regardless, he didn’t follow her out when the lift stopped at her floor.

***

Loki sat in his rooms that night, pondering the woman he’d seen today. Something about her intrigued him, her spirit, but then again, being blind wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. Why he doubted he’d be breaking glasses after one day, let alone eight months.

Loki wasn’t a braggart like his brother though, he liked to test his superiority to make sure and to this end, he fetched a towel from his bathroom and secured it around his face. It wasn’t easy but it did render him blind, although like the doctor, he could still tell that it was light.

He made his way out of the bathroom but his confidence that he knew these rooms like the back of his hand was quickly shattered when his shoulder brushed the door frame. No matter how confident he wished to be, he couldn’t stop holding his hands before him after that.

Next his toe knocked into something, making him hiss in pain and hop for a few moments. He should have kept his boots on, he admitted. He thought he had knocked into the end of the couch but as he put his hands out to feel what was around him, he felt no leather. He widened his search, his hands clamouring for a surface he recognised but he found none.

Panic began to seep in, what if he wasn’t in his room any longer? Something he touched fell and shattered, but what? His hand felt a plant but he didn’t have any plants in his room. He must be somewhere else, but where? And how? And-

He ripped the towel off and looked around him.

He was still in his rooms, but somehow he was over by the window, and there was indeed a potted plant there that he had forgotten about. He had thought he was still over by the bathroom, ten feet from his present location. No wonder he hadn’t known where he was.

The vase on a decorative table had also been shattered.

So much for it being simple. He wasn’t even truly blind and yet he had felt panic. How much worse must it be for Dr Lang, and she didn’t even have the comfort that she could remove her towel and regain her vision.

His respect for her grew and he was determined to find out more about her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The following day Loki still saw no reason to announce himself too her, so he entered her lab as quietly as he could and sat down a few feet away to watch her. She cocked her head as he entered but she didn’t speak, so he assumed he had got away with it.

She was running her finger over a blank page. The sunlight on her brown hair made it shine and he wondered how she managed to style it, not to mention, how she applied makeup.

“So if the Monren variable is 5, then using a polymer between ultra-thin layers of the alloy might be both stronger and more shoch absorbent than a solid sheet. Jeeves, email Michelle Weston, CC Stark Industries Contracts Department… and Acquisitions. If this stuff is as good as the paper suggests, Tony might want to buy the patient. Email subject, your polymer. Body, Hi Michelle, I’ve been reading an article on your new discovery and would like permission to experiment with it on a non-commercial application but with the possibility of commercial applications in the future…”

He tuned the rest of her speech out, except for how she sighed off. Her name was Saga. Saga Lang.

He’s been friends with an Aesir girl named Saga in his youth.

Once her message was finished, she made her way to the kitchen at the rear and as she passed him, he got a good look at her eyes. They looked normal, not cloudy or white or damaged. He followed her to the kitchen area and watched as she filled the smaller mug with water, then she threw it over him!

He gasped and spluttered, shocked to find himself doused in cold water, while she laughed, pleased with herself.

“I'm sorry,” she said between giggles. “But you can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She had warned him, and he has underestimated her.

“I’m Saga,” she held her hand out for him to shake.

He stared at it for a long moment, torn between reacting with anger and aggression, or gaining her trust to find out how she knew he was in the room, and how she could pinpoint his location.

“Let bygones be bygones?” she asked, her tone hesitant. “It gets awfully lonely here when the Avengers are away.”

“Do you know who I am?”

“Not for sure, but I’d guess you’re Loki.” She dropped her hand when it became clear that he wasn’t going to take it. “Everyone else who worked here left when it was announced you would be moving in.”

“Why didn’t you leave with them?” he asked.

She turned back to the kettle and filled it with one mug of fresh water. “Do you want some tea?”

He hesitated for a moment before replying, “Please.”

She added a second small cup of water to the kettle.

“I didn’t leave because Tony begged me not to. He swore he could keep me safe from you, told me I’d never have to see you, that I wouldn’t even know you were here. Eventually I caved.”

“For someone who needed such reassurance to be around me, you don’t seen frightened.”

She smiled sadly. “What’s the worst you can do to me, kill me? I’m not actually scared of that.”

“Then why did you need convincing to stay?”

“The Avengers mean well, but they baby me. They make it hard to learn to be independent and when push came to shove, I was too scared to go live on my own. Here I have Jeeves to help with my work, I wouldn’t get that anywhere else, he helps me with my money, to label my clothes and all sorts of things that I can't do alone.”

The kettle boiled and she began making two cups.

“Don’t you have any other friends who would help you?” Loki asked.

She shook her head. “I was pretty bitter after my accident and I did a pretty through job of driving them all away. The Avengers only put up with my shit because Tony felt guilty.” 

“Stark? Why?”

“He invented the device that did this to me.”

She handed him a mug and made her way to a small table where she sat down and gestured for him to sit opposite, which he did.

“What happened?” he leaned forward, eager to hear how Stark had maimed an innocent woman. Perhaps his hands were not as clean as he’d like to imagine.

“It was an energy pulse weapon, designed to send out a concussion wave, to knock everything in its path down, we thought it could be used to clear things in a hurry, or to non-violently slow down or end some conflicts by knocking the participants over. We hadn’t fully tested all possible applications, we’d only just begun testing the prototype, actually. Adam Schaffer and I were testing it and we’d already done over a dozen tests on various materials. That morning we were moving onto human applications. I had a special suit designed to protect me and, an outer suit full of sensors to collect data readings on the pulse… but I wasn’t ready, the visor on my helmet was up and the setting on the device hadn’t been turned down from the brick and mortar clearance setting.”

She sipped her tea.

“He said it was an accident, that is hand slipped, that he didn’t mean to fire it at me.”

“You don’t believe him?” Loki asked, his suspicions raised by her bitter tone.

“We’d both been up for the same promotion, I got it, he didn’t. He was pretty bitter about it for a while, so I can’t help but wonder.” She sipped her tea and took a few deep, calming breaths. “I was lucky really, eyeballs are rubbery and they absorbed the force of the shock wave. If they hadn’t, my brain would have been mush.”

“You don’t really believe you’re lucky,” Loki noted, trying to understand her reactions.

Saga only sighed in reply.

“… Because you wish you had died,” he guessed, pleased when her shame confirmed his guess. “That’s why I don’t frighten you, not because you don’t fear death, but because a part of you wants it.”

She sipped her tea, neither confirming nor denying his words.

“Not going to try and cheer me up?” she asked. “Tell me I’ll adapt, that it’ll be okay, that in five years I’ll look back and wonder what I was thinking?”

“I don’t know that everything will be ‘okay’ and as for cheering you up, I suspect I would be rather bad at it.”

“Well thank you.” She smiled. “I get so sick of platitudes sometimes.”

“I can imagine.”

They continued chatting for a while, until Saga insisted she had to get back to work.

“Then I shall leave you,” Loki said, getting to his feet. “Thank you for the drink.”

“You don’t have to leave,” she smiled, taking his mug and rinsing it along with hers in the sink. “You can stay like yesterday, if you’d like.”

“Very well.” He followed her back to her workstation and sat beside her. “That reminds me, how did you know where I was earier, and that I wasn’t an Avenger returned early?”

“The answer to both is, your footsteps. Now that I can’t rely on sight, I compensate with other senses where I can. I actively listen now and I hear loads of things I wouldn’t have noticed before, or would have tuned out.”

“But you threw that water right in my face. You knew precisely where I was, not just the direction I stood in relation to you.

“Well, we have two eyes so we can judge depth, I guess two ears means I can do the same with sound.”

“And for recognising me?”

“Everyone has their own unique sound when they walk. It’s a combination of their shoes, their weight, their length of step, do they stride, walk heal-to-toe or flat, things like that.”

“And when people change their footwear?”

“That makes it challenging but after a while, I get used to the two or three pairs people tend to favour. Yours are soft, they have a rubbery sole which makes your steps mostly silent but there’s a very slight squeak on smooth or tiled floors.”

“Thank you. I shall remember that the next time I need stealth,” he inclined his head towards her, then he remembered that she couldn’t see his gesture. “Might I ask one more intrusive question?”

“Sure,” she smiled.

“Your name. I knew a girl on Asgard with a similar name.”

“Probably. My Dad’s English but my Mom was from Norway. I think it comes from the Norse myths, so I might even be named after your friend.”

“Interesting. Where might one find these myths?”

Saga leaned over to a set of drawers and opened the middle one, feeling around until she found a slim tablet which she handed to Loki.

“Jeeves, please show Loki the books you have on Norse Mythology.”

_'Yes, Dr Lang.'_

“If you look at the screen it should give you a list of titles, press a title once to see the synopsis, which explains a bit about the book, then hit the back button to go back to the list-”

“Back button?”

“Ah, um…” she nearly reached out, as if she wanted to point it out but of course, she couldn’t. “It’s near the bottom, sort of um, like a sideways U?”

“I see it.”

“Great, well that will take you back to the previous page, not just with the books but while browsing in general.”

“Thank you.” He turned the screen over. “There appears to be more to the list but it doesn’t show on the opposite side.”

“Are you trying to turn it over, like a page?” She was suppressing a smirk.

“Obviously,” he said with disdain.

“I’m sorry, considering everything I’m having to get used to, I shouldn’t laugh, but it’s just so normal for us. And to be honest, I can't believe you’ve been here for weeks and haven’t read used a tablet at all.”

“Thor has procured normal books for me to read.”

“Well the tablet should keep you satisfied from now on. And to see the rest of the list you need to scroll down, so put your finger near the bottom and slowly move it up… or down, scrolling works both ways.”

“Your assistance has been most helpful.”

“You’re welcome. Feels nice to help someone else for a change,” she was grinning. “Oh, and it charges wirelessly, as long as you’re in the building, and it’s my old one, so you can keep it.”

“Of course, you must not be able to use devices such as this any longer.”

“Actually I can.” She reached for a similar looking tablet, which she showed him.

“But how can you read?”

“Two ways, the device has a built in text to speech program or if you see here,” she ran her fingers along a strip at the bottom. “That displays the text as braille.”

“What is braille?”

She turned the screen on and immediately the strip she’d gestures to showed a series of raised bumps.

“Six possible bumps, three columns of three, and depending on which ones are raised, I can tell which letter it refers to. One bump, top left is A, top and middle left is B, top left and right is C.” She ran her middle finger along the line. “‘Sanders Outlines Middle East Policy’,” she read, which was exactly what the screen showed as its headline. “When I get to the end of the strip, it automatically changes to the next line.”

She demonstrated and he saw the configuration of bumps change.

“And you can read that?”

“I’m at about 60% of my old reading speed but yes, and I’ll get faster with time.”

“You really are very resourceful,” Loki noted.

“I have a feeling you don’t bestow praise very often so I hate to say this, but I didn’t invent it, I just learned to read it.”

“Nonetheless, quite a feat, I would say.”

She smiled and Loki felt a sensation he hadn’t felt in years, namely a desire to care for another.

If he had his way, nothing would ever go wrong in this woman’s life ever again, she had endured enough, but Loki wasn’t foolish enough to act on the impulse. He didn’t even know what his own future held, so he certainly couldn’t keep any vow made to another.

He would have to be content to be her friend… and hope to see that smile as often as he could.

***

Loki watched as Saga placed the plastic dishes in what she called a microwave, typed in the time and turned it on. Now he knew what braille was, he was seeing the bumps everywhere, on her keyboard keys, on the microwave and elevator buttons, and what seemed to be braille labels stuck on some food packets.

She had invited him for dinner and he had accepted eagerly, more than happy to have something other than the meal replacement bars that they had given him when they left. They contained everything he needed, apparently, they just tasted like cardboard.

He asked if he could help and she gave him the task of setting the table.

“I’m not really sure of the layout up here,” she confessed. “This is almost the first time I’ve had it to myself, so just look through the cupboards until you find what you need.”

Loki had no clue how to set a formal place setting, on Asgard it seemed to involve very precise measurements, but he’d eaten enough meals on Midgard now to know that only a knife, fork and possibly a spoon were required.

“Do you want some wine?” she asked.

“That would be lovely.”

“Red okay?”

“Yes, fine.”

She made her way to a large rack of wine and picked a bottle from the rack. He wondered how she knew which were red and which were white.

She felt for the edges of the label, then removed a cheap looking ring from her little finger and placed it the wrong way around on the tip of her middle finger, she then ran the ‘stone’ over the label.

“What is what?” he asked.

“It’s called a reading ring,” she answered. “Aah, merlot, perfect.”

She approached the island and placed the bottle down, then took the ring off her finger. “This flat piece, what would be the stone on a normal ring, is a scanner and on the inside,” she passed it to him so he could see, “are six braille dots which raise and lower according to the what is being scanned.”

“Ingenious.”

“It really is. Everyone said ‘don’t learn braille, you don’t need it, read audio books’ but it isn’t the same. There’s something intimate about reading that is missing when you listen to an audio book. Plus, this ring is invaluable for the million and one other things that aren’t in braille, like wine.”

The microwave dinged and she began turning the plastic dishes out onto plates.

“Can you open the wine, please?”

“Certainly, but why not just ask me the colour?”

“Because you won’t always be there when I want wine. I figure the more I can do for myself the more confident I’ll be when the time comes to move out.”

He was about to nod but remembered just in time. “I understand.”

“Can you take these to the table, please?” she gestured to the plates.

“Of course.” He put the plates down and took the seat furthest from them.

He watched as Saga made her way to the corner of the island, stepped sideways one large pace, then forward for four, turned a 45 degree angle left, then forward six paces. He could see her lips move as she walked.

“You count,” he realised. “That’s how you move about so easily in your lab, you have distances and routes mapped out in your head.”

She felt for the seat and settled in it, smiling at his observance. “I do. I’m more familiar with the lab so it’s almost second nature now. Up here though, someone always takes my arm and leads me around. It’s infuriating.”

“You can’t learn distances while on someone’s arm?”

“No, because I need my reference points along the way and when someone leads me, they’re my reference and they don’t stay in one place for me to memorise and use in the future.”

“Why do you not ask them to stop?”

She was feeling her place setting, knife, fork, plate, glass

“Because they’re trying to be nice. And I have sometimes asked them to let me do it, but they’ll let me that one time then next time, someone’s there again. Asking over and over gets exhausting, and shouting at them so they know I’m serious seems wrong, because they think they’re helping.”

“Maybe you need to shout.”

“I actually have sometimes. In the beginning I was so frustrated by everything that I snapped quite a bit. They pat me on the head and forgive me because ‘ _we know how hard this is for you_ ’.”

“Perhaps you should leave then.”

“Gee, it’s so nice to be wanted,” she said sarcastically.

Loki enjoyed her snark. “While I shall be devastated by your loss, I shall endeavour to get on with my life.”

Saga laughed. “Oh, I think I like you.”

“You only think? You’re not sure if you like me? That’s rather indecisive.”

“What can I say, you’ve been nice to me but rumour has it you’re a homicidal maniac so,” she shrugged, a grin on her lips, “I’m withholding judgement.”

“Fair point, Doctor, but I can tell that you like me really. Don’t hide from it.”

“You know what you problem is?”

Loki rolled his eyes; everyone loved to tell him what his problem was, and they were never correct.

“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

“You’ve clearly got crippling self-esteem issues. If you could just get more confidence, I’m sure your homicidal urges would vanish,” she teased.

“I think you’re onto something,” he laughed.

Her smirk was rather sexy, he decided. It felt good to just be with someone, with no expectations, no preconceptions, no rivalry (sibling or otherwise), no grievances between them, just two people sharing a meal.

“So, what are we actually eating?” he asked.

“Lasagne,” she replied, as though it should be obvious. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had Italian food before?”

“I haven’t vacationed here in well over 100 years and on my previous visit, cuisine was not at the top of my list.”

“Oh my God! We are going to have SO MUCH FUN! There’s so much fabulous food on this planet. Now I can’t cook much right now, but we can order in. You’re going to love it!”

“This seemed easy enough to prepare,” he replied. “Forgive me, but I recall cooking being far more complex.”

“You cooked?” she sounded incredulous.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you’re a prince.” She shrugged. “I can’t imagine the Queen cooks her own meals.”

All right, he admitted, she had a few preconceptions about him.

“Not daily, no; the palace has a population of many hundreds, so it’s simply more efficient to have the staff feed everyone, but while on hunting trips and the like, we couldn’t be weighed down by cooking staff, so we skinned and cooked some of what we caught.” 

“Well, you’ll have to show me your skills sometime. As for this meal, I only reheated it, I didn’t make it.”

“And that machine you places the containers in?”

“It’s a microwave.”

“I detected no heat source though.”

“It emits electromagnetic radiation of the correct frequency to excite water molecules, which creates the heat.”

“Ingenious,” he smiled.

“So what food shall we try tomorrow?” she asked. “There’s pizza, hamburgers, Indian, Chinese, loads of other pasta dishes-”

“Pasta?”

“These layers between the sauce,” she replied. “There’s also Greek, French, Thai-”

“I am unfamiliar with the choices, so perhaps I should leave it to you, my guide.”

“Chinese,” she replied decisively. “This should keep us busy for weeks.”

“More like months.”

She cocked her head on the side in a silent query.

“I'm not supposed to leave my floor, remember. When the Avengers return, I shall have to remain there, lest they discover my duplicity.”

She pursed her lips for a moment then shrugged. “I’ll visit you then.”

“They will not like that.”

“I don’t give a fuck what they like. Whether they want to admit it or not, I am a grown adult with two Ph.Ds, I can make my own choices.”

“Do you truly believe I mean you no harm?” he asked and to his surprise, she smiled.

“What could you possibly have to gain by hurting a singular, blind, human woman?”

“Do I need a reason?”

“You do,” she answered with certainty. “Some people are cruel because they can be, but not you. I have no doubt that you can be cruel, but you need a reason.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I’m fine, aren’t I?”

“Perhaps I do not want to invite the wrath of the Avengers by harming you.”

“Loki, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m blind. There are literally a thousand and one ways you could fuck with me and I would never know it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t,” she smiled. “But I work from memory, as you’ve seen. You could have moved my wine glass so I'd knock it over.” She reached for it to prove it was in the same place. “You could move anything I set down and frustrate me. You could put furniture in my path, or just go with the old favourite, and stick out your foot as I pass. I would have no way of knowing, let alone proving that you did any of those things. If you were a sadist you’d have figured that out already. Instead you’re curious, asking me questions, keen to know something new, even if you’ll never need it, like how to navigate the world when you can’t see it.”

“You have a very logical mind,” he told her.

“As do you,” she smiled and raised her wine glass. “Here’s to logic.”

He tapped her glass with his.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The next night Saga phoned the Chinese restaurant and ordered a selection of her favourite dishes. Loki liked the black bean and the sweet and sour but he wasn’t keen on the satay, and he preferred noodles to rice.

What he found amusing though, was the fortune cookies, probably helped by the fact they were on their second bottle of wine by the time they opened them.

“So you have seers on Midgard?” he asked as he read his fortune.

“No. The fortunes in fortune cookies are bullshit.”

“But this is true, it says I will live a long life, and I have already lived ten or more mortal lifetimes.”

“But everyone wants to hear they’ll live a long, happy life, but there’s no way to prove it. It’s just nice to hear.”

“What does yours say?” he asked.

“Seriously,” she asked, her expression incredulous.

“My apologies. May I read it for you?”

“If you can find it.” She hadn’t made a mental note of where she’d put it.

Loki plucked it from her plate and read it out. “‘You are cool under pressure’. See, yours is also accurate.”

“How do you know?” she asked.

“Because when you realised someone was following you around, quite possibly a dangerous alien at that, you handled it with an exceptionally cool head. I do wonder how they know the right person will get the correct fortune however. Your seers must be very talented indeed.”

“It’s not seers, Loki, these are generic statements that could apply to anyone.”

“Hardly.”

“Okay, maybe not, but they’re things that everyone would apply to themselves. Everyone likes to think they’ll live a long life, and everyone likes to think they’re cool under pressure, even if they really aren’t.”

“Still, even if what you say is true, how many generic statements can you make?”

“You’d be surprised,” she smiled. “Some people make a career out of conning others into thinking that they have psychic powers, and astrology is all just these kinds of phrases.”

“Astrology?”

“It’s like fortune telling but based on when you were born.”

“I don’t understand.”

Saga explained how there were 12 star signs which related to the constellations at the time you were born, then she asked Jeeves to read out today’s Aries horoscope.

_‘Certainly, Dr Lang. ‘Your attitude is calm and matter-of-fact when talking to others. You tell it like it is while omitting the frills and fantasies. You have no reason to hide the truth, so you're happy to disclose information to any willing listener-’’_

“Okay,” she cut the computer off. “Doesn’t that sound like it could apply to you?” she asked Loki.

“I suppose.”

He didn’t sound convinced so she asked Jeeves to read out another from today.

‘ _‘You talk as if you possess many lifetimes of wisdom and perhaps you do, but that doesn't mean you should be arrogant about it. Your words might have the tone of a sage…’_ ’

In the end Jeeves read out all 12 of the days horoscopes and when they could all apply to Loki, he conceded that perhaps it was a trick.

“But how does it work? Who determines what is a universal truth and what isn’t?” Loki asked.

“It’s all just psychology,” she tried to explain, “and some people are just good at tapping into what other people want to hear.”

“So it’s manipulation?”

“Yes!” she jumped on it. “That’s exactly what it is.”

“Fascinating, I never dreamed humans were so devious.”

“You say that like it’s a good thing.” Saga laughed.

“Isn’t it?”

“Not on the whole, no, not a positive character trait,” she teased. “So if you like being devious, keep it hidden.”

“Isn’t that rather devious?” he teased her right back and she grinned.

“Actually there’s something called mentalist, which is people who do what psychics claim to do, but they don’t pretend it’s supernatural. I used to love watching their shows.”

“Shows?”

“You haven’t discovered TV yet?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“Jeeves, do you have access to any Derren Brown shows?”

_‘There are some available on Netflix, Dr Lang. Would you like to watch one?’_

“Do they have any with audio description?”

_‘All of them have it.’_

“Okay, would you choose the most highly rated and queue it up on the big screen, please?”

_‘Certainly.’_

“I’ll clean up the plates later,” she assured Loki as she collected her glass and stood up from the dining table. “Bring the wine, please?”

“Of course,” he assured her, standing then watching as she took one step sideways, then silently counted as she walked. Her steps were hesitant and he could understand why, because she needed to go down a step to get to the seating area and if she misjudged, she could have a terrible accident.

He overrode his instincts telling him to help her and simply watched, ready to spring into action if needed.

He noted that after twelve paces she stopped and inched forward, feeling for the step, and he realised why she either didn’t wear shoes inside, or wore very thin and flimsy footwear, so that she could feel her way. Once she was seated, Loki came over with his glass and the wine bottle, then settled beside her.

“Don’t worry about the description voice-over,” she told Loki. “For people like me, if there’s any relevant action I need to know about, the added speech tell me.”

“So you can still enjoy visual media. Very clever.”

“It makes it like a radio play. Not all programs have it though and honestly, I don’t watch much TV these days.”

They settled down to watch but Loki found himself watching Saga more than the screen, her facial expressions infinitely more fascinating to him than the show they were watching, although the man in question was a gifted manipulator.

***

Over the next few days they fell into a routine of sorts. While Saga worked, Loki joined her in the lab and since he was keen to understand Midgardian magic, as he called it, he read science textbooks on the tablet.

Occasionally he interrupted her to clarify a point since the language of science was alien to him, but he needed remarkably little help. She checked a few times to make sure that her talking to Jeeves wasn’t disturbing him, and eventually she took him at his word that he would leave if he felt she was distracting.

In the evenings they shared wine and chatted as they tried a new cuisine, then they moved to the sofas and either continued talking, or would watch something Saga recommended.

Loki was discovering that Midgardian culture was far more nuanced than he had given it credit for and much to his surprise, he was enjoying learning about them, especially what they called science.

He needed a little help as he didn’t understand some concepts but although she was a chemist, she seemed well versed in most areas of scientific learning and was able to explain things in terms he could understand.

She was also starting to question him more, wanting to understand what life on Asgard was like, and how and why he was immortal. He had few answers for her on the latter point because she didn’t understand seidr, which was the basis for their strength power, healing and longevity. He tried to explain it as best he could but since she had no experience of magic, and he none of teaching it to someone like her, they didn’t get very far.

He ended up explaining it in terms of her blindness. Magical energy, much like light, was everywhere in the universe and higher species had evolved eyes to make use of the light through sight.

Mortals however, had never developed the organs necessary to harness light, so to them the universe was dark, consisting only of touch, smell, sound and taste.

“So can we ever understand your magic?” she asked.

“I’m sure that given time, your science will find a way to harness such forces, just as even a blind person can harness light with a magnifying glass and start a fire.”

“But will we understand it? I know what it’s like to see because I used to be able to, I dream in images, but people who were born blind don’t dream in pictures.”

“If I had more power, I could show you, you could feel it through me so to speak, but Odin has blocked most of my abilities. When I get free, rest assured I shall allow you to experience the power of seidr first hand.”

“So how come, if you’re both magical, you can do magic but Thor can’t.”

“Talent, natural affinity, training.” He shrugged. “It’s the same as how anyone with eyes can see, but not all can harness that vision to recreate and enhance the images on a canvas, correct?”

“So Thor’s body has the ability to harness magic, but he doesn’t have the talent to wield it with skill?”

“Precisely.”

She didn’t look too sure of her conclusion but he had plenty of time to try and make her understand.

***

The next morning he headed down to her laboratory but was surprised to find it empty. He took out his tablet and read for fifteen minutes but when she hadn’t turned up, he went to find her. He tried the communal kitchen on her floor to start with but she wasn’t there.

“Jeeves, which room does Saga live in?”

_‘The room labelled SL, Sir.’_

“Is she in there?”

_‘Yes.’_

He found her door and pounded on it, terrified that she might have had an accident or hurt herself and need help.

“Saga? Saga, are you all right?”

The robotic dog began to bark.

“If you don’t answer this door in five seconds, I’ll break it-”

“Buddy, be quiet,” she yelled, and the barking stopped.

A bleary eyed Saga opened her door, her robe clutched around her but not tied. He breathed easier to see that she was all right, although he soon felt rather off balance again when he noticed her cleavage. Since her robe was so short he took the opportunity to examine her body, his gaze lingered on her legs, especially the pretty flash of thigh.

“Loki, what’s wrong?”

“I-”

“Stop staring and answer the question.”

“How did you-?”

“Know you were checking me out? I'm blind, not stupid.”

“My apologies, I never meant to imply that you are stupid. In point of fact, I think you anything but.”

“Okay, so why did you wake me up?”

“You were sleeping?”

“Duh. I was up late last night reading.”

“When I went to your lab and you weren’t there, I began to worry. I thought that perhaps you were injured.”

“It’s Saturday, Loki.”

“I know.”

“The weekend.”

“What is a ‘weekend’?”

Saga sighed. “I’ve been awake about 120 seconds so before we discuss yet another Midgardian cultural norm, how about I get dressed and you put the coffee on?”

“Put it on what?” he asked.

Saga closed the door in his face and he returned to the kitchen. Feeling lost, he looked to DUM-E.

“Do you know what coffee is and what I need to put it on?”

It bleeped happily and made its way to a cupboard which it opened, then handed him a bag of something called ground coffee.

Loki looked from it to DUM-E, which was pointing at something on the counter. Loki approached it and placed the bag ‘on’ the device.

Dum-E made a sad sound and lowered its mechanical arm.

Saga entered a few minutes later, her dog at her heel, and she could literally feel the tension rolling off Loki.

“What did I miss?” she asked.

“I placed the coffee on the contraption the robot said I should.”

“You _placed_ it on? Not _put_ it on?”

“They mean the same thing, do they not?”

She started laughing. “I’m sorry, Loki.” She tried not to laugh but the slip was just so funny.

Loki tried to reign his temper in, he didn’t like being laughed at, but the musicality of her laughter helped sooth his bruised ego.

“When we say ‘put the coffee on’ we mean make it.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because in days gone by, we turned a machine, a percolator, on which brewed it, but that’s just a guess.”

She made her way to the machine and felt for the bag of coffee.

“This is Tony’s ridiculously expensive expresso machine, the sort you find in coffee houses. Even when I had my sight, I didn’t know how to use the damn thing.” She reached into a cabinet and brought out a large glass pot with a handle and lid. “This is a cafetière, we put boiling water and ground coffee in it.”

She filled the kettle and turned it on.

“Why are you the only one I’ve seen use that sort of water heater?”

“The kettle? Because for some reason, electric kettles never really caught on in America, but I’d be lost without one.”

She scooped the coffee into the cafetière then placed a three-pronged device into the rim.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“I have no way to measure the fluid so this beeps. The prongs are different lengths so I can decide which level to fill it too, and the beeping gets louder the higher the liquid goes.”

She demonstrated, adding the water until it beeped and vibrated. It stopped the moment she plucked it off the edge, then she added the lid and depressed the plunger.

“This holds the coffee down so we don’t drink the grinds,” she explained. “You want to fetch two mugs?”

While he did that, she got milk, sugar and her sweeteners out, then she put the level indicator on her mug, filling it to the first prong with coffee, then the second, higher prong with milk.

“There,” she pushed the cafetière and the milk towards him. “Copy what I did then add sugar to taste.”

“You didn’t add sugar.”

“I use sweeteners,” she clicked two out of the dispenser.

“Now that you have your coffee, would you tell me why you aren’t working today?”

“Because it’s the weekend,” she smiled, then paused as she concentrated on walking over to the table and sat down. “It began theologically, a directive in the bible ordered people to take Saturday, the last day of the week off and save it to worship God. Christians later changed it to Sunday. When labour laws came in the Victorian era, they guaranteed a Sunday off. I’m not sure when or why, maybe because Jewish people still take the Saturday off, but most workplaces keep a working week to Monday to Friday. There are a lot of exceptions and people who work the weekend, but there are a lot of people who still take both days off.”

“Including you.”

“Including me, sometimes. If I have a project on, it’s not unusual for me to work seven days a week but my workload has lightened a lot since the accident because while I can do the theoretical, I can’t do the practical any more.”

“So what held your interest last night?”

“The Martian.”

“The what?”

“It’s a book. And a movie.”

“Perhaps we can watch it one evening.”

“Sure,” she smiled. Even if she couldn’t find a version with audio descriptions, having read the book would help her follow events. “So how do you like your coffee?”

“I’m not sure. It’s bitter yet oddly palatable. I think I like it.”

“Well, that’s a rousing endorsement.” She smiled.

“So,” he asked, “What do you do on these days off?”

“Nothing you’d be interested in,” she told him.

He was silent for just a beat too long.

“Of course, you have better things to do,” he said, his voice cold. “I shall leave you to your own devices.”

His chair scraped as he got up and she grabbed for his hand but missed.

“Loki, Wait! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. You’re welcome to come,  just didn’t think you’d be interested.”

His footstep paused. “Interested in what?” he asked.

“A manicure and pedicure.”

“And what are they?”

“I’m getting my hand and toe nails painted.” She held her hand out to show him. “I have it done every three weeks.”

When he spoke the cool tone was gone, replaced by gloom.

“As much as I would enjoy a new experience, I fear I cannot leave the building.”

“Oh, that’s nothing, I can get around that,” she smiled.

“I fear it is impossible. Even tricking it into thinking I am Stark does not allow me to exit the building.”

“That’s my fault,” she admitted. “He made it so that while they were gone, no one but me could come and go, which is why I have to meet the delivery guys in the lobby, because I literally can’t let them in without physically being there to open the door. To show Tony how stupid he was being, I hacked into Jeeves and blocked the Avengers from being able to enter or leave.”

“You know computer coding?”

“Not a lot but Tony basically made Jeeves my jailer, you bet your ass I learned what I needed to to break free.”

“I like the way you think,” Loki chuckled.

“Thanks.” She grinned. “My appointment’s at eleven thirty; I have to put a face on before we go.”

“Put a fa-”

“Put my make up on.”

“How do you do that?” he asked.

“Mostly through feel and keeping it simple. I have eyeliner tattooed on by top and bottom lash lines, then I use a tinted moisturiser, powder, I apply stone shade eyeshadow to my lower lid and blend. The hardest is mascara. I admit, did poke myself in the eye with my mascaras a lot when I started. You can watch if you’d like.”

“I would, thank you. And perhaps you would share how you choose your clothes with me.”

“That’s easy. I sew differently shaped and sized novelty buttons to the labels, so I can colour coordinate. Black is flat and round, blue is square buttons, red is sort of flower shaped, crinkly edges, white is hexagonal, beige and brown are heart shaped, green is triangular. I can tell how dark by the size of the button, the larger, the darker. The rest is just the texture of the fabric, I can tell by feel how light or heavy it is, if it’s denim, wool, cotton, satin etcetera.”

“Ingenious.”

As they got up, Saga held her hand out.

“Would you take my hand for a second?”

Loki was puzzled by the request but didn’t object.

“So if I let you leave the building, are you planning to run away?”

“No.”

“Promise?”

“I give you my word.”

She released his hand and smiled.

“Come on then.”

“What was that about?” he asked.

“A girl has to have some secrets,” she teased.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

As they left the building, Saga held Buddy’s service harness with her right hand.

“Would you care to take my arm?” Loki asked.

“Buddy knows the way.”

“I suspected as much. I was asking because I would rather like a beautiful woman on my arm.”

“Okay, as long as you don’t mind being led by a dog and a blind woman.”

He took her left hand and placed it on his elbow but a slight tug made his pause. He turned to look at her and she had her face turned toward the sky, her eyes closed and a slight smile on her lips and as a breeze ruffled her hair, he couldn’t help but think that she looked magnificent.

“Okay,” she opened her eyes and slipped a pair of dark sunglasses on. “Let’s go.”

The dog began to lead them and Loki enjoyed looking around him. He hadn’t seen the city from street level the first time he visited.

It was interesting, actually, seeing the hustle and bustle of daily life.

“How far is this place?”

“Just a few blocks.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to take one of those yellow hire vehicles?”

“You mean a cab?”

“Yes.”

“I like getting out in the fresh air.”

“What if you get lost?”

“Tony programmed Buddy so he won’t take me more than five blocks away,” she said sadly. “It’s hard to get lost in a five block radius. I could take a cab further but I’d be completely on my own at the other end. I’m not brave enough for that yet.”

“Can you not overwrite Buddy’s programming?”

“I could,” she huffed. “But I need a USB connection to get into the programming and Tony hid the port so well, I can’t find it.”

“And he wouldn’t tell you if you asked?”

“I have asked. He says it’s for my own good, so I don’t do anything silly.”

“Such as?”

“Move out.”

“So instead they infantilise you,” he concluded.

“Exactly. I’ve only made this walk alone twice before now and if I’m even five minutes late, they call me and when I ignore their calls because I'm too old to be told what I can and can’t do, they come an find me. Buddy has a tracking device.”

 “If you wish, I can accompany you further afield, just as a precaution while you regain your confidence.”

“Really? You’d do that for me?” she stopped and turned to him.

“I don’t exactly have a lot else occupying me at the moment.”

“Thank you.” She smiled and as they walked on, she slipped her whole arm through his. “You know there used to be a park not far away that I liked to sit in and have lunch, do you fancy that afterwards?”

“Sounds delightful.”

Buddy led them to a nail salon and wagged his tail as the receptionist and the free technicians made a fuss of him.

“Diane?” Saga asked.

“Right here Honey, how you been?” a large lady answered, breaking away from the crowd.

“I’m great,” she smiled. “This is my friend, uh, Loki, I was wondering if you could fit him in while you do me?”

Loki had assured her that his appearance was disguised and no one would recognise him.

“I’ll do him myself, we don’t want a fight on our hands.” She winked at Loki.

In short order they were settled side by side, Buddy laying on the floor beside Saga, panting.

“What colour this week?” Saga’s technician, Belle asked.

“Red on the toes, blue on the hands.”

“Sure thing.”

“How about you,” Diana asked Loki. “You want bold colours or just a manicure and clear polish?”

“From what I have observed, the men here do not appreciate feminine things.”

“You do?” Diane asked.

“Just look at my hair, do I seem unwilling to be effeminate?”

“Well, you got me there, so blue like your friend?”

“I think it best to blend in for the moment, so just clear polish, I think.”

“Sure thing, honey.”

“So where did you two meet?” Belle asked Saga.

“He came into my lab one day.”

“You work at that fancy Stark Tower too?” Diane asked him. “Are you a scientist?”

“More of a mystic,” Loki replied.

“You help the Avengers?” Belle asked him.

“I do what I can,” he answered enigmatically. They didn’t know that he wasn’t allowed to do anything, not even leave his floor.

Loki only had his hands done so he was finished early and eagerly watched as Saga had her hands and feet shellacked and the toughness of the resin intrigued him.

Loki hadn’t considered money, on Asgard everything was charged to the palace, but he watched closely as she got the money from her wallet. She had separated the notes into different denominations and each had its own section, so she knew how much she was counting out.

“You paid more than necessary,” he said as they exited.

“It’s called tipping,” she explained. “You reward good service by paying extra.”

“So you pay for good service.”

“Essentially, yes.”

“But good service should be mandatory.”

“I know, and people shouldn’t have to rely on people’s kindness to live, but that’s not the system America uses. Took me a while to get used to it.”

“What if a client isn’t as generous as you?”

“That’s why people shouldn’t have to rely on tips” she said, taking her sunglasses from her jacket pocket and putting them on.

“Where are we going now?”

“Just a little park near the library.”

“I haven’t seen much in the way of plants since I arrived.”

“Yeah, I miss the coutryside to be honest. The school I boarded at was surrounded my fields, it was lovely.”

“You liked school?”

“It’s the only family I ever really had. I was happy there.”

“Teachers seem a poor substitute for family.”

“They were, but the House Matrons were sweet and the other girls became my family.”

“Could you not live with one of them?”

“I’ve thought about it,” she admitted. “But most of them have families or careers and without Jeeves and Buddy, I’d be a much bigger burden on them than I am on the Avengers. Plus, I still have a job with Tony, I’m not sure who else would want me. Not to mention, most of my school friends live in England.”

They arrived at the park and Buddy led them to the outdoor tables and chairs. They ordered drinks and the waiter brought them menus, blushing when he realised why Saga didn’t grasp the one he held out for her.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I should have realised with the dog and everything. Would you like me to read it to you?”

“Read what?” she asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Oh! The menu, I meant the menu!”

“I think it will be less intrusive if I read the menu to her,” Loki said as he noticed people staring, his tone was as cold as the arctic.

“Oh! Yes, of course! I'm so sorry, I-”

“Actually,” she interrupted. “Do you still have the club sandwich?”

“Uh, yes, yes we do.”

“Then no one needs to read me anything. Thank you for the drinks.”

“Yes, of course, sorry. I’ll give your companion a few minutes then I’ll come back for your order.” Red faced, he offered another apology and left.

“Do you experience that often?” Loki asked.

“People assuming I’m completely helpless? It’s not uncommon.”

“I’m sorry,” he said with sincerity.

Although it wasn’t the same thing, he knew how it felt to be constantly be underestimated.

Saga carefully searched for her glass, then she took a sip and let out a long, contented sigh.

“This is nice,” she said as they sat there. “Just sitting, watching the world go by… well, listening to the world go by,” she smiled. 

“It’s a little loud for my tastes.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Saga smiled. “I think the tower gets a little too quiet sometimes.”

She looked so serene siting here, as if she didn’t have a care in the world, even surrounded by the hustle and bustle of New York.

“You might be right,” he agreed.

***

Saga was laying with her head in Loki’s lap while he told her one of his battle stories. He had a real knack for storytelling, easily as good as any audiobook she’d ever listened to.

A few night ago she had curled up next to him while they watched a movie with audio descriptions, uncomfortably squeezing her body into the pace of two seats and trying to make throw cushion into a pillow, but it was rather too thin.

“Come,” he said, patting his thigh, “lean on me.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Why would I?”

So she shuffled down and used his thigh as a pillow.

Loki had discovered that he quite liked the sensation and took any opportunity to suggest she do it again.

“You did not!” she laughed.

“I swear on Thor’s life,” he argued.

“You hate Thor.”

“True, but I’m not lying.”

“Pah-leez!” she scoffed. “You’re the God of Lies, if I recall correctly.”

“Why does everyone think that means I lie?” he asked. “I mislead sometimes, I deceive when it suits my purpose, but I very rarely lie.”

“Why the moniker then?”

“Two reasons. One, I can spot a lie at a hundred paces; it’s a gift.”

“And the other reason?”

“I have a very nasty habit of telling uncomfortable truths. My name has been defamed so that people will think I’m untrustworthy, when in fact the opposite is true.”

“Yeah, you’re a regular boy scout.” Saga pulled a sceptical face.

“It’s true.” He sounded offended. “Have I ever lied to you or deceived you?”

“No,” she admitted.

“Exactly. And if you do right by me, I will do right by you. I never strike the first blow.”

“What about attacking New York?” she sked softly.

“That was… not my choice.”

“Whose choice was it?”

“Someone else’s. Someone…”

She couldn’t rely in facial expressions any longer, so she had to go by tone of voice and she had become very good at reading people. Loki sounded haunted.

“So you expect me to believe that you really turned into a horse to lure away your oppositions mounts?” she asked.

He paused for a second before deciding to accept her change in conversation. “I swear it. One of their stallions even tried to mount me!”

“No!” she squealed, covering her mouth with her hand.

“It’s true. Luckily I’m very swift, and even more so on four legs.”

“Well, maybe you’ll give me a ride sometimes.” Saga laughed.

“Dr Lang!” he sounded scandalised. “You have a very dirty mind!”

“You’re the one with the dirty mind,” she giggled. “My comment was totally innocent!”

“Uh, what the hell is going on here?” Tony’s voice interrupted their conversation.

Saga sat up abruptly, turning to the entrance, where Tony’s voice had come from.

“Tony, you’re back.”

“Yes, that much is obvious. Now do you want to explain why you’re canoodling with the Prince of Darkness?”

“He was telling me a story.” She shrugged.

“He’s pure evil!”

“He’s not evil, and I like him.”

“Why? Are you really that stupid? Did that shock wave give you brain damage too?”

Loki stayed silent but he could tell that Stark had just pushed her too far.

She got to her feet and walked over to him with far more confidence in this space than she would have a week ago.

“How dare you!” She spat, and Stark actually took a step back. “I knew you would overreact but this? Maybe the reason I like him is because he doesn’t demean and belittle me, treating me like a child because it’s ‘in my best interest’ right? Maybe I like spending time with him because he doesn’t treat me like an incapable invalid. He likes me, he likes my stories, he likes my mind, he likes learning about our culture and god damn it, I like the same things in him.”

She didn’t hesitate when she reached the step and in another three paces she was standing right in front of him.

“I have put up with a lot of shit from you, Tony, but I draw the line at you insulting my intelligence.”

“You’re right,” Tony admitted, realising he had woken the beast.

Loki was just watching, basking in the fire she was showing. She looked radiant.

“But him? How did he even get out?”

“I let him out, just like I locked your teammates out.”

“Wait, you’re the reason they can’t get in?”

“You programmed Jeeves to let no one but me in or out, but you forgot about to ban your friends. I made sure everyone but me was blocked so you could see what a total control freak you were being.”

“Can you blame me when I come back to find you making out with Satan’s Spawn?”

“Maybe he is evil incarnate, Tony, and part of me really hopes he’s thinking up inventive ways to kill you right now, but ask yourself this, if he is so evil, why am I still alive?”

“I-”

Loki smiled because Stark was caught. He either had to admit that Saga was more capable that he would like, or admit that Loki wasn’t pure evil, neither of which were attractive prospects.

“I’m going to my room. I better not see you again until you’re ready to apologise.”

She strode off down the hallway, Buddy trotting after her, and Tony looked to Loki.

“This is your fault,” he accused.

“Mine?” Loki smiled sweetly.

“Yeah, somehow you got into her head and convinced her that we’re the bad guys here. What were you hoping, that she’d set you free?”

“She already has, I accompanied her for a manicure, then I visited Central Park with her as you have some stupid rule that her dog cannot go further than five blocks, oh, and we attended a performance of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. If I wanted to escape, I have had ample opportunity.”

Tony was seething. “Whatever you’ve done to that girl, I won’t rest until we’ve undone it!”

“And I wish you luck with that.” Loki smirked and walked out.

He considered stopping at Saga’s room but decided against it. He wasn’t in the mood right now.

***

Saga curled up on her bed with Buddy, her arms wrapped around the dog as she cried into his fur.

That had been brutal, far worse than she expected, and she was hoping Loki would join her. When he didn’t, she began to wonder if he had been using her.

She had instructed Jeeves to lock the door to everyone except Loki. She knew Tony could override her command but she was hoping he wouldn’t, and the others didn’t have the skill to override her.

_‘Dr Lang, your pizza has arrived.’_

She had ordered it earlier today, to be delivered at 8pm.

She sat up and wiped at her eyes. Loki didn’t have the money to pay for it and she wasn’t about to leave this room.

“Tell Stark, he can have it.”

_‘Certainly.’_

“Oh Buddy,” she stroked the dogs fur. “Why all this fuss over a friend?” she asked rhetorically?

The dog might be robotic but he had been her friend and even although his intelligence was artificial, he seemed to understand her and react appropriately.

“I know he’s done awful things but he isn’t all bad. He’s saved this and the other realms far more than he’s invaded them. Something happened to him,” she told the dog. “I don’t know what but you don’t go from defending the realms for a millennia, to invading them for no reason. I want to ask but there’s something there. Maybe a few somethings, actually. He doesn’t trust me yet, and why should he, we’ve only known each other eleven days.”

She sighed and scratched Buddy behind his ears, he liked that.

“Why didn’t he come to see me?” she asked.

***

Once Tony overrode Saga’s alterations to Jeeves’ programming, the Avengers aircraft landed and Tony took great delight in telling them the latest development as they disembarked.

“She what?” Steve sounded appalled.

“She was lying on the couch, her head in Loki’s lap, laughing!” Tony repeated.

“So?” Wanda asked. “What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal,” Clint explained, “is that Loki is bad news. The worst.”

“But Saga’s okay, right?” Bruce asked.

“Define okay,” Tony turned to him. “Physically she seems unharmed but who knows what mojo he’s using to fry her brain.”

“He doesn’t have magic,” Thor reminded them.

“Then he’s hypnotised her,” Clint suggested.

“Don’t be an idiot.” Nat turned around and aimed a glare at him, causing the group to stop and form a circle as they argued.

“I’m not being an idiot,” he argued. “It’s the only explanation.

“So what,” Wanda demanded, “He had her watch the pendant swing back and forth?”

That had been exactly what Clint was picturing, only  he had forgotten that Saga was blind and it showed in his expression.

“He must have done something-” Steve insisted.

“The fact is,” Nat cut him off, “Saga is a grown woman and while I might not agree with her choices, I support her right to make them.”

“So you think we should encourage their relationship?” Steve asked.

“We don’t even know that they have a relationship,” Nat was becoming exasperated. “But even if they do, she must get something from him that’s he doesn’t get from anyone else.”

“Like what?” Tony demanded.

“Respect,” Wanda huffed.

“I respect Saga,” Steve’s voice was high pitched and whiney. “We all do!”

“No, you all fawn over her,” Nat explained. “You do everything for her, even when she asks you not to, and you all think you know what’s best for her.”

“We do not!” Tony scoffed.

Natasha’s expression asked if he was serious.

“This is different, Loki is a killer!” Steve reasoned.

“Loki is her choice,” Natasha explained, “and if you respect her, you have to respect her choice.”

“What about you?” Thor asked Vision. “Do you have an opinion?”

“I agree with Natasha; even if a decisions inadvisable, you cannot interfere with an adults right to choose for themselves.”

“See, he gets it,” Wanda added. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I have bodily fluids in my hair and I would very much like a shower.” She walked off and slowly, most of the group followed her.

“Thank you for your defence of Loki,” Thor said to Natasha as they fell into step with each other.

“Loki was not always the man you know,” Thor said softly. “Once, I was proud to call him brother, although I never thought to tell him that.”

“I wasn’t defending Loki, I was defending Saga. For the record, I think she’s insane to want anything to do with him, but that’s not my decision to make.”

Thor nodded and slowed his pace, letting Natasha walk ahead. He had long since learned that most of the Avengers weren’t interested in changing their opinion of Loki.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Saga had showered and wrapped herself in her fluffiest dressing gown, then Thor knocked on the door to her apartments.

“Lady Saga, please, I must speak with you.”

She ignored him.

“I have no wish to berate you as the others have done, my Lady, I simply wish to talk.”

Reluctantly, she decided to hear what he had to say.

“Thank you,” he said earnestly as she opened the door.

She knew he was massive, not only because of his deep voice but because his voice came from so far above her. Loki was tall but Thor was even bigger, if that was possible.

“Come in.” She stood back to let him enter.

“Thank you.” He stepped inside and she shut the door after him. “I realised you have not eaten so I brought you some food.”

“Thank you.”

“Unfortunately I am no cook, so it is only potato chips and cookies.”

“You can't go wrong with chips and cookies,” she smiled as she sat down. “So, what can I do for you?”

“I wish to know what your intentions towards Loki are.”

“My... intentions?” She sounded the word out, as if she might have misheard. 

“Yes.”

“You mean like, am I planning to marry him?”

“I mean, will you play him fair?”

“Have I been unfair?” she asked.

“I spoke with Loki earlier,” Thor said. “He seems to think that you were using him to upset your friends.”

“So that’s why he hasn’t come to see me?”

“That, and Stark has reinstituted the protocols that don’t allow Loki off his floor.”

Saga took a deep breath. “Thank you for telling me and I’m not playing your brother false. I like him, he’s a good friend.”

“I’m glad. Most think Loki impenetrable but I know that beneath that hard exterior, lies more vulnerability than you might imagine."

“I understand,” she assured him. “But you shouldn’t get your hopes up, Thor.”

“My hopes?”

“You seem to have romantic intentions for us but, I’m not exactly relationship material right now.”

“Why not?”

“I can hardly take care of myself, if I’m with someone else they’ll just try to help and I’ll never be self-sufficient. Besides, a relationship should be give and take and a the moment, I’m more on the taking side.”

“I think you are mistaken, but I shall take care not to raise my hopes, as you suggest.”

Saga loved the sort of olde worldy way he and Loki spoke sometimes.

“And I’ll reassure your brother. Has he eaten?”

“I brought him a tray earlier.”

She saw him out then turned back into the room.

“Jeeves, what room is Loki in?”

‘355.’

Saga had never been to his floor before and they all had a very slightly different layout. She didn’t really want to take Buddy though, because she was a little bit paranoid that Tony would use it to spy on her somehow.

“Buddy, I want you to stay on your charging bed, okay?”

The dog whined.

“I know, but I know where I’m going. I’ll be fine. You stay here, got it”

The dog barked once.

“Good boy.”

She opened her door and listened for a few moments, but the voices all seemed to be coming from the common area, so she took a risk and left, locking her door and heading to the lifts. One good thing about going barefoot was that she hardly made any noise. 

The elevator had braille on the floor keys, and she searched for 35 but once the doors opened, she was in foreign territory. She had never been in this floor before and since each higher floor was slightly smaller than the one below it, the layouts differed and 4 floors worth of difference was quite big.

She assumed the central corridor was the same, so she headed out at a slight angle, her arms in front of her until she felt the wall, then she brushed her hand along the wall until she found a doorway and felt the slightly raised numbers. 351 so like her floor the odd numbers were on the left-hand side and two doors later she found 355 and knocked.

When there was no reply she tried again and when that elicited no response she felt the numbers again to make sure she was correct, then she called, “Loki? Loki, please open the door.”

The door opened seconds later.

“I apologise, I thought you were another do-gooder warning me off.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing I’m not used to. How can I help you?”

“Can I come in?”

Loki hesitated.

“Please? Thor came to see me and I don’t really want to talk about what he said out here.”

“Of course,” he said with a defeated sigh.

Hoping the room layout was similar to her own, she kept one hand on the wall and walked to where she thought the sofas would be.

“What did Thor tell you?” he demanded.

“He said you thought I'd used you to get back at the others.”

“Do you deny it?”

“Yes. I admit, the thought of their horror was gratifying but you can’t say the thought of pissing them off didn’t cross your mind either, am I right?”

Loki didn’t reply.

“If all I wanted was to piss them off, I wouldn’t have needed to see you every day, especially not all day, and I really wouldn’t have let you out of the building, or inserted fake code into Jeeves and lied to Stark so that he doesn’t figure out how you got off this floor and put a stop to it. I like you, Loki, and now I’m kicking myself for not remembering to block Tony from entering the building, then we’d have had a chance to hide.”

“So you’re ashamed of me.”

“Did I sound ashamed?” she asked. “No, but I could do without the judgement and recriminations.”

“I should not have doubted you, I apologise.”

“Accepted, but only on the condition that you come to me next time you think I’m screwing with you.”

“I shall.”  

Saga smiled and reached out for his arm and once she had it, she stepped in and hugged him. It took Loki a moment to react but after a brief hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her.

Saga pulled away before it could become awkward. “So, you want to watch a movie or something?”

“I would like that very much.”

***

The next day Tony was waiting for Saga at breakfast and since she could hear that he was alone, she realised he had planned it.

“An ambush first thing in the morning. Hardly very sporting of you.”

“Not an ambush, no attack, no recriminations, I just want to talk.”

“Not until I’ve had a coffee,” she told him as she headed to the kettle.

“Here, let me do that,” he said, running over.

“Tony, I’m fine.”

“I’ll make you a proper one.”

“I make proper coffee.”

“That’s debatable, but you don’t need to with me here.”

“Tony.”

“Come on, I’ll make you a nice latte, double shot of espresso.”

Saga wiped hand over her face. “All this for a coffee. It’s too early for this shit.”

She could hear from his knocking the old coffee grinds out of the machine that he was making her  a latte anyway.

She went to sit at the table, like a child waiting for their parent to prepare their breakfast, and stroked Buddy’s head as he sat next to her.

Tony joined her a minute or two later and took her hand, placing it on the handle of the mug he’s set down.

“Be careful, it’s hot.”

She took her hand away, no longer wanting the beverage; she had a feeling that today it would be too bitter to stomach. She’s settle for making tea in her lab. Maybe she should just get a second cafetière for there, and another liquid level detector, she could even stock some pop tarts and skip breakfast up here altogether.

“What do you want, Tony?” she asked.

“According to Buddy’s sensors, you didn’t get back to your room until after midnight last night. Where were you?”

“So you're using the dog to spy on me.” That revelation actually hurt.

“No. No! I just checked his readings this morning because-”

“You wanted to spy on me.”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine, I did great while you were gone and I’m actually feeling better than I have in a while.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” She wasn’t about to tell him more than he needed to know.

“Why is that?”

She shrugged.

“Look, Saga, and I’m worried that Loki is using you, that’s all.”

“Yes, I’d gathered that much, thank you.”

“Look,” he tried a different tack. “I know you’re vulnerable right now-”

“No I’m not.” She cut him off. “I’m stronger than I’ve ever been since the accident, I have more confidence and I’m happy. Why can't you accept that?”

“Because it’s down to Loki.”

“No, it isn’t. Most of my new confidence is because you and the others haven’t been here. I’ve had to do everything for myself and I not only survived, I thrived.”

“That bastard didn’t even try to help you?”

Saga sighed. “That bastard, as you so eloquently put it, respected me and my decisions. He offered his help but if I told him I could manage, he didn’t interfere. He didn’t treat me as though I’m incapable of even the simplest tasks.”

“And what, I do?” Tony actually sounded hurt.

“Tony, you just stopped me from making my coffee despite my repeated attempts to refuse your offer then when you gave it to me, you told me to be careful because coffee is hot. I have two fucking Ph.D.s Tony, I know coffee is hot!” her words grew louder as she continued.

Tony was equally angry as he replied.

“Really? Because for a smart woman you’re making pretty dumb decisions! I mean, you took him out of the building! He could have killed anyone.”

“But he didn’t.”

“But he could have! Or he could have run off and escaped or anything! How could you be so stupid?”

“I’m not stupid!” she argued. Her eyes began to sting with unshed tears and she channelled her pain into anger. “I took his pulse while I asked about his intentions when we went out, so I knew he wasn’t lying to me!”

“You took his pulse? So what, now you’re a human lie detector?”

“No, I just make up my own mind and judge by what _I know_ , not what other people tell me to think.”

“LOKI. IS. A. MURDERER!”

Saga sat back and smiled.

“How many people have you killed, Tony?”

“What? That’s not the-”

“How many!”

“I don’t know, they were bad guys!”

“Were they? All of them? Some of them weren’t coerced into working for the other side? And even if they were bad, who made you judge, jury and executioner?”

“That’s different and you know it.”

“Okay, so how many people did Ultron kill in Sokovia? Because I’m pretty sure the body count from that was larger than Loki’s attack on New York.

“I did not kill those people!”

“Not directly, no, but they died at the hands of your reckless creation.”

“Loki _meant_ to kill people.”

“True, but he’s saved far more than he’s killed.”

“Yeah,” Tony scoffed.

“Maybe if you sat down with him, you’d know a bit more about him.”

“I know all I need to know.”

“Tony, he’s a thousand years old and Thor’s brother. He and Thor used to go around the universe saving it. You don’t go from protector of the realms for centuries, to invading one without a damn good reason.”

“Okay, so what’s the reason?”

“I don’t know yet, but I know he’s troubled.”

“Oh, he’s troubled, well that’s okay then, all forgiven and forgotten.”

Saga stood up so abruptly that her hair scraped loudly across the floor.

“You ran an arms company while drunk half the time and so laxly that the fabulous weapon of mass destruction you invented were sold to _terrorists_ and used to kill _innocents_ , and you didn’t even notice until those terrorists kidnapped you. Have those deaths been wiped out, Tony? How many lives do you have to save to cancel out each death _you_ caused?” she spat.

She turned and walked away, Buddy following after her.

“Stay!” she called to the dog. “I don’t want one of Tony’s spies disguised as an aid. I'm sure he has Jeeves watching me 24/7 anyway.”

The dog whined but obeyed and Saga returned to her room for her white cane.

***

It had been a while since Saga used her cane but it was simple to operate, and saved her holding her hands out while she walked, looking like an idiot. The elevator arrived at Loki’s floor and with the cane sweeping the floor in front of her, she took thirty paces, then felt for a door on her left.

Yesterday she had hugged the wall and ger gait was unnatural, so her count was a little out, about three paces short to be exact, so the next time she’d try counting to 33.

She was about to knock when she heard Bruce’s voice. She felt for the door number again, but it was definitely Loki's room so rather than knocking, she opened the door and walked in.

“My ears are burning,” she said.

“Are you all right?” Loki asked.

“It’s an expression, it means people are talking about me, right, Bruce?”

“Hey, I’m actually on your side, Saga,” Bruce argued.

“So this is a social call? Great, what were you two crazy cats chatting about?” she asked as she walked deeper into the room, heading for Loki’s voice and using her stick to guide her around furniture.

“There’s no need to get snippy, Saga, I just wanted to make sure Loki was above board, that’s all.”

She stood next to him and looped her arm through his.

“Nobody trusts Loki, and I get it, really I do. What puzzles me though, is why everyone suddenly thinks I’ve dropped a hundred IQ points.”

“We don’t think that.”

“You’d rather trust what Loki, the God of Lies tells you, than trust my judgement.”

Bruce was silent for a beat. “All right, yes, I can see how that might feel patronising.”

“It doesn’t just feel it, it is patronising and god damn it, Bruce, I deserve better than this.”

“You’re right, of course. I'm sorry I bothered you, Loki.”

“It’s quite all right,” Loki answered with surprising grace.

“No Buddy?” Bruce asked Saga.

“Tony was using him to spy on me, so I gave him back.”

“I’m sorry.” Bruce sighed. “I’ll talk to Tony.”

“Thank you.”

Loki waited until Bruce had left then asked, “Are you all right?”

“I could use a hug.”

Loki wrapped her in his embrace and rubbed her back.

“I suppose Tony blocked you from leaving the building again?” She asked.

“Actually no, thanks to your lie, he has yet to realise that his machine thinks I am Stark and since he is free to leave, I am also. Why, did you want to go somewhere?”

“I don’t know. Suddenly this skyscraper feels awfully small but we’re under such a close watch that if we go out, then they’ll find out you can leave and put a stop to it.”

“I care nothing for their limitations, I shall always find my way to freedom, eventually.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Saga smiled, “but I’d rather not be the cause of your incarceration.”

“What about a terrace or balcony, we could go outside without leaving the building.”

“Well the balcony is now a landing bay for the aircraft, but there’s the roof terrace. It isn’t exactly designed for entertaining but we can improvise. You can still leave this floor, right?”

“Yes, but Stark is under the impression that I cannot.”

“So I guess we’re stuck here.” She held him a little tighter.

“I shall keep you entertained.”

“And I suppose we can order in almost anything we want.”

“I shall take your word for that,” he told her. “So what would you like to do?”

“Wanna make out?”

“Make out?”

She smiled and shook her head as she pulled away.

“A joke,” she assured him. “It means pretty much anything and everything leading up to sex.”

“You do not wish to do that with me?”

“I’d love to,” she admitted. “But I’m afraid if we did it right now, it would be for the wrong reasons.”

“I’m not averse to aiding your quest to upset your friends," he teased. 

“Thanks," she laughed, "but how about we just stay cuddly and see where it leads?”

“Sounds perfect. Would you like to listen to a movie?”

“You know what, I would. Jeeves?”

_‘Yes Dr Lang?’_

“Do you have any 80s classics?”

_‘If I understand your meaning correctly, I have plenty.’_

“Such as?”

_'The Shining, Raiders of the Lost Arc, ET, Ghostbusters, Aliens, Die Hard, The Breakfast Club, The Dead Poets Society, Blade Runner, Top Gun, Dirty Dancing-'_

“Dirty Dancing,” she interrupted.

“Sounds interesting,” Loki said with a smirk.

“It’s one of my favourite movies, something comforting I can turn to in times of stress.”

“Then I'm sure I shall enjoy it.”

They settled on Loki’s sofa to watch and Saga checked her braille watch.

“Do you have somewhere to be?” Loki wondered.

“I was just wondering how long until our next visit. I’ll bet you it’s before lunchtime.”

“I will not take that wager.”

“All right, fine, we’ll alternate hours.” I’ll take 10 to 11, you get 11 to 12, I get 12 to 1, etcetera.”

“It lacks the skill I generally apply when making a wager but very well, I accept. What are the stakes?”

“Stakes?”

“With a wager, something must be won.”

“Oh, um, I don’t know. Loser buys the winner dinner?”

“I don’t have any money.”

“Any suggestions then?”

“Loser cooks for the winner,” he suggested.

“Okay but if I lose, you’re going to have to give me a lot of help.”

“Or I could just enjoy watching you suffer.”

“You could, but what I end up cooking is the only think you get to eat so...”

“It’s in my interest to help you," he laughed. “You make a compelling argument.”

She laughed. “Now shut up and enjoy the movie.”

***

Clint stopped by at 12.07, meaning that Saga won the bet and Loki had to cook for her.

“So what are you going to make me?” she asked, choosing not to focus on the hurtful things Clint had said and instead, focus on more interesting things.

“All I know how to make are stews and casseroles, things that can be easily cooked in bulk. It isn’t particularly pretty but it is tasty.”

“Okay, well I think I know the sorts of ingredients you’ll need, or the Earth equivalent, so just tell me when and I’ll get them.”

“I could cook this evening if you wish. Thor is the only other resident on this floor and he tends to spend his time with his friends, so the kitchen is all ours.”

“Okay. Well to be honest, I could do with getting out of here, so I’ll pop to a grocer this afternoon.”

“You don’t have Buddy,” he reminded her.

“I know, but the shop i like is pretty close and I usually walk there twice a week, and I always count the steps, even with Buddy. I should be fine with just a cane.”

“Should be?”

“I’m nervous,” she admitted, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t do it.”

“I believe you.” He considered offering to go with her, even walking behind her, but he knew she’d refuse.

Instead he would disguise himself, perhaps wearing a  maintenance uniform, leave the building and follow her, just in case. If something went wrong, he would be there for her and if everything went well, she need never know of his fears.

Leaving the building so soon after his friendship with her had been discovered was a risk but it was one he was more than willing to take. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Saga was nervous as she left the building and she paused just outside, waiting in the small recess the revolving door sat in.

Finally she stepped out into the throng and made a concerted effort to slow down and remain calm. She knew her biggest enemy in this sort of situation was getting worried, which made her anxious, which made her more likely to speed up and make a mistake.

She made good progress and at the end of the first block, she headed to the crosswalk. This was her biggest fear, knowing where to stop since Buddy usually slowed as they approached. She slowed on step 102 and with 106, she felt the bumps in the pavement through her shoes, so she knew she was in the right place. The pavement wasn’t crowded but it was busy enough that she didn’t have to worry about pressing the button.

New York was installing Accessible Pedestrian Signals which told you where you were, what street you were waiting to cross and when to cross, and all in a New York accent. This wasn’t one of those handy crosswalks though, but she knew she was in the right place this time.

She heard the cross traffic stop and begin to idol, then she crossed when the people around her begun to move. She smiled as she felt the bumps in the pavement opposite, her confidence was increasing. She was doing it, she was actually doing it, and totally on her own!

Three blocks over and two up, she reached her neighbourhood grocer. They did deliver and sometimes Saga ordered online but if she didn’t come here to do her shopping, then some weeks she would never leave the tower.

It really was a neighbourhood store and the management always assigned her a packer to help her shop.

“Miss Saga,” the greeter, a lovely woman called Veronica said as she entered. “How’re you doin’ today?” She had a strong Brooklyn accent that Saga loved.

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Where’s Buddy? You didn’t come all this way alone, did you?”

“Buddy’s a bit under the weather, but I managed.”

“Well of course you did. Shall I get John to give you a hand?”

“Anyone who’s available,” Saga said, she hated to be a bother.

“He’s free, we’re in the post lunch slump right now.”

Saga knew that, it was why she timed her visits for the afternoons, so as not to be too disruptive.

“Here comes John now.”

Saga heard his trainers squeaking over the linoleum flooring.

“Afternoon, Doc.” John had helped her many times before.

“Call me Saga, please.”

“Doesn’t feel right,” he told her. “Do you have a list today?”

“I do.” Her phone was set to voice activation and as she drew her finger over the screen, it announced each app. She pretty much knew where her memo app was, and opened that. She entered items using voice recognition and the phone read items back using a text to voice app. Loki had watched as she entered the list, fascinated by how she managed to accomplish what to him seemed like impossible tasks.

Based on what Loki had asked for, she bought root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, onions, potatoes and celeriac, steak since he described the animals they hunted as large, so beef was probably the human equivalent, bay leaves and thyme sprigs, so he could choose which one to use, stock (Loki called it broth) then some plain and self-raising flour, shortening, salt and pepper (just in case his kitchen wasn’t stocked), and wine.

“What’s next on the list?” John asked.

“Bay leaves and thyme.”

“Sounds like a special meal,” he said while they headed to the correct aisle, her hand on his elbow. 

“My, uh, my new friend is cooking me diner.”

“Sounds lovely. What’s his name?”

“Loki-” she knew immediately she should have used a fake name.

“Like the guy who trashed New York?”

“It’s a Norse name,” she said.

“Really? Someone named their kid after a maniacal God?”

“Why not? I’m named after a Norse God, Saga, or did you think my parents just liked epic stories?” she aimed for a light and teasing note. ‘ _See, being names after a God is no big deal! No siree!_ ’

“Saga was a God?”

“Yeah, and it’s just a regular name in Norway. I even know a few Thors.” She didn’t personally know any, other than the original Thor, but she did know it wasn’t an uncommon name.

“Wow, it’s weird being names after a religion.”

“Is it?” she laughed. “What about people called Christian?”

“I… wow, I guess I never put that together before.”

“There’s a lot of people called Jesus too, especially Spanish speakers, and don’t even get me started on biblical names, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael were Angels, and then there’s Adam, Eve, Rebecca...” she realised he was probably rambling. “So yeah, religious names everywhere.”

“You know a lot of stuff,” John said, impressed.

“Yeah, well… I went to a very expensive school.”

“Lucky you.” He sounded envious.

“Maybe. the good education came at the cost of my parents, who would rather let a boarding school raise their daughter. Would you like my education if it meant you had no relationship with your parents?”

“No relationship at all?”

“They send me Christmas cards. Birthdays are hit and miss. I haven’t send them a card for about 10 years.”

“I guess that what life gives with one hand, it takes with the other,”

“You’ve got that right,” she agreed as he dropped her arm to collect the herbs.

“I can’t imagine not having my folks around.”

“And I can’t imagine having them around,” she replied. She realised that in trying to get off the topic of Loki, she was acting weird and probably getting a little deep for John, who was a nice young man, hardworking and easy to chat to, but not exactly a genius.

“I’m sorry for the rambling, I’m a little out of sorts today. I had a huge fight with my friends.”

“It happens. What’s next on the list?”

“Just a few items for me.”

She bought a new cafetière and more coffee, milk for Loki’s fridge, tea, snacks, ice cream, bread, butter, cold meats, and various other sundries. It was too much to carry and use her cane but they were happy to deliver. She tipped her helper well, as she usually did, and she would tip the delivery driver well too. As usual, she thanked everyone for their help before she headed out.

She walked with a bit of a spring in her step on the way home. She couldn’t exactly spare the concentration to whistle but she settled for grinning instead.

***

Loki was thrilled to see how well Saga was doing but as she covered her slip with the helped, he almost laughed at how terrible a liar she was. So easily flustered that she was truly awful. Perhaps not to most people but sensing lying was one of his skills.

It pleased him because that meant she was unskilled and good liars only became so with practice. He had enough liars in his life already.

Although he had disguised his appearance, he worried that he would be spotted watching her while inside the store but he quickly realised that some people spent much time staring at the shelves, so Loki did the same, occasionally putting something that sounded interesting in his basket. He had stolen some of the paper currency from his brother’s room before leaving, so he was able to pay for his purchases.

He followed her home, smiling at how happy she seemed. Her happiness fled as she neared home however, when she heard Steve calling her name as he ran up to her. Loki slowed his pace so he could listen for longer.

“Where have you been?” he demanded as he stopped before her.

“I went to the shop.”

“We were worried about you.” His tone was accusatory and Saga bristled.

“Anyone would think I was juggling knives!”

“You can’t do everything you used to,” he argued.

Loki paused to browse a shop window.

“I go to the shop all the time!” People were staring and Steve was starting to look uncomfortable. Saga was blissfully ignorant of the attention she was attracting.

“Not without your dog.”

Saga groaned in frustration. “I’m less than a block from home and I’m fine! How about a ‘well done’ or a ‘good job’ or even ‘I’m happy for you’ but no, you demand I tell you where I’ve been, like you’re my keeper or something. You are not my parent and right now, you are not even my friend.”

She moved to walk around him but he grabbed her arm. “Here.”

“Leave me alone,” she hissed, ripping her arm out of his grip.

“Let me help you.”

“I neither need nor want your help!”

She walked on but Loki could see that she was upset. He followed her, his long stride taking him closer with each step. Her stick shook as she ran it over the ground in front of her and he noticed her steps were slightly hesitant. He guessed that her little encounter with Steve had caused her to lose track of her position.

Loki carefully adjusted his stride, well aware that Captain America was watching Saga. As he approached he spoke firmly but not loudly.

“Forty two paces, turn right, the door is in front of you. Four, five, six.”

“Seven, eight” she took over the count, murmuring as he passed, “nine-thank you-ten…” her words became a whisper, then stopped all together.

Loki stepped ahead and when a group of people came between him and Saga, he quickened his pace and slipped into the building, hopefully unnoticed by the Patriotic Pest.

He headed up to his room and dropped the workman disguise that had kept him hidden. He had observed that those in uniform were rarely questioned and those in uniforms of the lower orders were practically invisible, overlooked by almost everyone. His janitorial overalls were a ghastly disguise, but they had proven very effective.

Saga came in a few minutes later, closing the door behind her and leaning against it.

“Loki?”

“I’m here, love.”

She followed his voice and fell into his embrace, trying hard not to cry.

“Thank you. I couldn’t have bared to ask for his help.”

“You aren’t upset with me?”

“It’s a little creepy,” she admitted. “If you’re still hovering over me once I’ve relearned to do something, then we might have a problem but you’re intentions were good. You were just an invisible safety net and I didn’t know you were there until I needed you. You let me do it on my own, that’s what counts.”

“And you did so well, until that idiotic soldier distracted you.”

“Thank you.” She sighed and relaxed into him. “If I hadn’t needed you, would you have told me?”

“I would. I only kept my intentions from you for fear of denting your confidence but once you had succeeded, there was no reason to hide my actions.” He marvelled at how good it felt to hold her.

“But I didn’t succeed.”

“You would have. You were sabotaged, and that is not your fault.” He pressed a kiss on her hair as if it was the most natural action in the world.

“What do you look like?” Saga asked suddenly.

“You don’t know?”

“The only pictures of you were blurry. Next time hold a press conference.”

He smiled at her joke. “Well, I’m tall, pale and I have long black hair.”

“That doesn’t tell me anything. Describe your self-portrait to me.”

He thought for a second.

“Almond shaped eyes that vary between slate grey, blue and green in colour, depending on my mood, an expressive brow, high cheekbones, thin lips, a strong jaw. Overall a proud, aristocratic air… and maybe a little arrogant and haughty at times,” he told her. “Why?”

She pulled away slightly and tilted her head up.

“I want to know what the man I’m about to kiss looks like.”

Loki smirked, then obliged her, pressing his thin lips against her full ones in a soft, hesitant kiss. One wasn’t enough though, and the next kiss was deeper, longer, more sensual. The third made her whimper, a sound which roused other appetites within him. By the middle of the fourth kiss, he knew he had to have her and managed to pause when the kiss ended.

“I want to make you scream,” he panted.

“Oh God, yes!”

That was all the encouragement he needed and Loki I swept her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

Her lack of vision gave her no limitations in bed and he found himself closing his eyes often, preferring to feel her rather than see her. It was as if closing his eyes heightened his other senses and at times he felt as if her presence might consume him.

The intensity of his emotions made him go slowly, which also left Saga plenty of time to change her mind.

As he stripped each piece of clothing he worshipped the new expanse of skin that he exposed, kissing, licking, nibbling. She was an exquisite morsel and surprisingly sensual, writhing in pleasure long before he had touched any erogenous zones.

She was vying with him for control, eager to discover his attributes but he ceased feasting on her neck for a moment to tell her, “Wait your turn, darling, patience is its own reward.”

“Easy to say when you get to go firs- Oh God!”

Loki smirked and lightly nipped at the skin on her neck.

“Fuck!” she cried and he would swear that although she still wore her panties, she nearly came even without clitoral stimulation.

Finally, after he had brought her to two climaxes, she would be denied no longer and pinned him to the bed, holding his wrists to either side of his head. Well, to be fair, he let her pin him; he gave in when she rubbed her pussy over his crotch and even though his leather pants, he was filled with the need to be inside her.

He tried to help her disrobe him, eager to bury himself in her silky depths but she used his own words against him.

“Uh uh, patience is its own reward.”

He huffed in frustration but as she took is nipple between her lips and began to nibble on it, he forgot to argue.

She pulled him to his feet and slowly disrobed him, kissing and caressing every inch of him as she worked. When she finally unlaced his pants and slipped her hand inside, he gasped, burning with desire. When she got down on her knees and took him in her mouth, his knees almost gave out and she pushed him back until he fell onto the bed, then she crawled over him, straddling his hips and running her slit along the length of his shaft, but Loki had shown enough patience for one day.

He turned them until he was on top.

“No more teasing,” he growled in her ear.

“Fuck me,” she agreed.

He positioned himself at her entrance and slowly slid inside her. He felt as if he had died and gone to Valhalla and once seated inside her, he held still to savour the moment.

“I said ‘fuck me’.”

“You have a deliciously dirty mouth, darling,” he purred in her ear.

“I know, I can feel your cock twitch every time,” she panted in reply. “Now pound my fucking cunt like a jackhammer or I’ll go across the hall and see if your brother would like a go.”

That had the desired effect and Loki began to thrust into her, slamming her clit with his pelvis with each thrust. Her nails raked down his back with surprising strength for a human, and he scraped his teeth across her neck with surprising tenderness for a psychotic megalomaniacal demi-god.

As his thrusts increased, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and tugged his head up off her neck so that she could kiss him.

His orgasm was approaching but she needed a little more stimulation. He didn’t want to reach between them to rub her clitoris so instead, he stimulated the largest sexual organ a woman has, her brain.

“You are like a gift from the Gods yet your pleasures are so sinful that you could be sent from the devil himself. I am going lick your slit until you beg to come, then I’m going to suck on your little bud until you’re screaming my name, then I’m going to pound your juicy cunt, and I will do it over and over until you’re delirious with pleasure, begging me but unable to say if you’re begging for me to stop, or for just one more orgasm.”

“Fuck!” she cried, her cunt spasming around his length as she came harder than she could recall in her life.

Loki managed only three more thrusts before he came, spilling his seed inside her.

He collapsed on top of her, exhausted from fucking her, and her arms came around him, holding him firmly so that when he tried to climb off, worried his weight might hurt her, she only tightened her grip.

Loki opted to turn them again, so she was on top since he was at no risk of injury from her weight. She was sprawled over him, as drained as he was.

After a few minutes their senses began to return and Saga raised her head and kissed him tenderly. She wore nothing but a sexy smirk Loki didn’t think she had ever looked better.

“Where did you learn that?” she asked.

“Well when you’ve been knocking around for a millennia, you pick up a few tricks,” he purred.

“Is that right?”

“Oh yes,” he stole a quick kiss. “What I’m more interested in, is where you picked up such skills in your very short, and exceptionally dull mortal life.”

“Dull?” she pretended to be affronted but she knew he was teasing. “and as for where I learned it, clearly you’ve never been to a boarding school before.”

“I confess, I have not had the pleasure.”

She smiled and kissed him again, but then her smile faded.

“Will you go out with me tomorrow? In disguise, like you did today?”

“Of course. Why so serious?”

“We didn’t use protection.”

“Protection?” Loki frowned in confusion.

“Prophylactics.”

“Bless you.”

She smiled despite herself. “I mean a way to prevent pregnancy. I used to be on the pill… you probably have no idea what that means, but-”

“It prevents pregnancy?”

“Yes.”

“And the trip tomorrow.”

“The morning after pill, and maybe see about something more permanent. I haven’t been to the clinic since the accident though.”

“I believe I have sufficient magic to fix the problem.”

“Fix?” he made it sound rather like spaying a dog.

“Prevent impregnation.”

“How?”

“I can hex your cervix so that while things may exit, nothing may enter.”

“And it won’t harm me?”

“Not at all.”

“And if I want it removed?”

“Just ask me.”

Saga considered for a moment but she didn’t believe Loki would do anything to harm her.

“Okay.”

She made to roll off him but he held her in place and held his hands on her bottom. It took a few moments, then she felt warmth at the top of her vagina, rapidly worsening to heat, but he stopped before it became painful.

“There, it is done.”

Saga clenched a few muscles but nothing felt any different.

“You sure you got the cervix?” she asked.

“I’m sure.”

“Positive?”

“Absolutely positive, why?”

“Because if you missed and made it so that noting can enter my vagina, that would really suck.”

Loki chuckled. “That’s way I was careful, you see.”

Saga checked her watch. “We should really get cleaned up, my shopping is being delivered soon.”

“How incredibly tedious. Stay here instead.”

“Oh no,” Saga laughed. “Besides, you owe me one home cooked dinner.”

“So I do. And I never break a promise.”

She was about to say something teasing back, then if occurred to her that he probably wasn’t joking.

She kissed him one last time before their interlude had to come to an end.

“Come on, lover boy, show me how to use your shower.” She had no idea of the layout of his bedroom and bath room. If she was going to stay here regularly, she would have to acquaint herself with the arrangement of his rooms.

***

Saga was sitting at the island in Loki’s kitchen while Loki as he examined the vegetables she’d bought, her iPod playing softly in the background.

He had helped her put the food away, then he had helped her make braille labels and place them on the foods and drink that wouldn’t be used immediately.

“Can I help?” she asked.

“What can you do?” it wasn’t asked with sarcasm or derision but instead was a simple enquiry as to her limitations.

“I can peel vegetables, chop most things but probably not very finely, I can stir, mix, kneed, whisk, um… that’s about it.”

“You have some skill with cooking then?”

“I used to.” She sounded wistful.

“Let me guess, you’d like to start again but your friends haven’t cooperated.”

“They keep telling me not to bother, they can buy me anything I want. They don’t understand that I used to find baking relaxing. Bruce tried once but Tony came in and made it sound like such a waste of time, I stopped.”

“Then tomorrow I shall help you.” After examining the vegetables he selected potatoes, carrots and celeriac. “Can you peel these?” he asked, placing them in front of her.

“Of course.” She hopped off her chair and came around the island. Luckily the layout of the kitchen seemed to be exactly the same as the one on her floor, only the rest of the room differed slightly. It also seemed to be identically stocked so she found a vegetable peeler and took a few sheets of kitchen towel for the shavings.

“So what were your hunting trips like?” she asked.

“Good fun, mostly,” Loki smiled. “We have no animal farming as your realm does, so hunting was necessary for food but also used as training. Hunters are mostly soldiers because a clean kill is the mark of a good warrior. It also teaches tracking, stealth, aim and some of the larger animals are harder to defeat than a skilled fighter. Our hunting party usually consisted of Thor and I, the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif. We took it in turns to hunt, sometimes teaming up for larger animals.”

“How large are we talking?”

“For a Bilgesnipe, approximately two to three times the size of your elephants but more reptilian in appearance.”

“Sounds like a dinosaur.”

“A-?”

“Dinosaur. They’re extinct now, but some of them were massive.”

“When did they die out?”

“About 65 million years ago.”

“Before humanity, then?”

“Yes. They think an asteroid hit the planet and created a nuclear winter which wiped them out.”

“I hardly understood a word of that, but if what you say is true, then I wonder if perhaps your lack of predators is why you never evolved the ability to use magic.”

Saga cocked her head on the side. “So the Asgardians used to be picked off by these Bilgesnipe?”

“Aesir and yes, we did, so we- they evolved to become strong enough to survive. All of the other 8 realms has or had some rather horrific predators.”

“They?” she asked having noticed his slip.

“I no longer consider myself one of them,” his tone was curt.

She suspected there was more to the story but she wasn’t going to press him.

“One of my roommates at university studied Evolutionary Biology. I’ll have to send her an email with your theory.”

“As you wish.”

“Oh!” she suddenly sat up straighter. “I know what our next film should be, Jurassic Park! It’s brilliant, you’ll love it. Then Jurassic World.”

“I shall trust your judgement,” he said and she could hear the warmth in his voice.

“How many potatoes do you want?” she asked.

“Five should so it.”

“Five?” They weren’t small. “Are we feeding an army?”

“Close, I invited Thor to Join us, and Bruce as well.”

She was surprised and it must have shown in her expression.

“Thor is on our side and tells me that Bruce, while wary, supports your right to choose. I felt it prudent to keep our supporters onside.”

She couldn’t disagree with his logic and as much as she liked Loki, some fresh company would be nice, especially if it didn’t come with a side order of judgement.

“You know, you look very a-peeling doing that,” he teased.

Saga’s mouth fell open. “Oh, you did not just make a bad vegetable pun?” she began giggling.

“You think me more sophisticated than that?” he chuckled, enjoying her mirth.

“Kinda, yeah.”

“Yet here you are, still laughing over my bad pun.”

“Well, this is very… domestic,” Natasha interrupted their fun.

From the sound of her footsteps Saga could tell that Nat was alone, save for Buddy, who’s artificial nails clicked on the tiled floor.

In between Avengers missions Tony and Bruce generally stayed here, working on various projects, as did Steve, although he did go away from time to time to search for his friend, Bucky. Aside from a few visits to his girlfriend, Thor usually stayed close too, as did Wanda, who has enrolled at NYU, and no one knew quite what Vision did all day, but he remained in the tower mostly.

Natasha and Clint hardly ever stayed there though. When they got back from a mission, they would take a few days to rest, the they’d be off again, alone or together, spying and intel gathering on various bad guys, so Saga had never really had a chance to befriend either of them.

When she was here though, Nat was quite good about letting Saga do for herself so while Saga’s smile faded, she wasn’t ready to be hostile without cause.

“If you’re here to lecture me, I’ve heard it all already today.”

“I’m not, actually. I may not understand your choice, but then a lot of people didn’t understand what Clint saw that was worth saving in me. I’m just here to tell you that I read Tony his fortune and he agreed to turn Buddy over to you. He’ll help if you ask but you can reprogram him to your own specifications and he can’t be used to spy on you again.”

“I don’t know where the USB port is to interface with him.”

“It’s in his mouth.”

“I checked there.”

“Tony has a special command which makes the jaws open even wider and the USB port comes out of his throat.”

“What? What’s the command?”

“Peek-a-boo.”

She heard a slight electronic whirring.

“When you unplug it, the port retreats back inside without needing a command.”

Saga shook her head. “I have been asking him where the port is for months. What did you have to do to do to get him to tell you?”

“I may have threatened to dangle him from the balcony if he didn’t tell me.”

Saga smirked. “Thank you, Nat, I appreciate it.”

“I know.”

Nat’s shoes scraped the floor as she turned to leave.

“Ah, wait-” she looked to Loki, not knowing if they had enough food for one more.

“Would you care to join us for dinner,” Loki asked her. “My brother and Dr Banner will be joining us also.”

She hesitated for a moment. “I really can’t. Clint and I-”

“No, I understand,” Saga assured her.

“-are being debriefed tomorrow.”

“It’s fine. Enjoy your evening.” She was a little sad that Natasha wouldn’t stay but given how vehemently Clint disliked Loki and how close he and Nat were, Natasha had already gone above and beyond the call of duty for her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Between them Saga and Loki finished preparing the meal; Saga explained the operation of things Loki wasn’t familiar with, such as the oven and stove top, and Loki followed her instructions. Once prepared, the stew needed two hours to cook, then a sort of biscuit/dumpling was added after an hour. Saga rolled the sticky dough it into little balls while Loki removed the stew from the stove. He was more used to cooking over an open fire, so he preferred to cook it over a burner rather than in the oven.

Thor and Bruce arrived while we were adding dumplings… well, actually Saga was threatening to throw one at Loki and he was promising that his revenge would be much worse than a dumpling.

“Are we interrupting something?” Thor teased.

“Only Saga threatening to do me bodily harm,” Loki replied.

“I have far better aim than most people expect,” she told them.

“It’s like old times,” Loki added with a smile.

“Old Times?” Bruce asked.

“We had a friend called Saga as children,” Thor explained. “Loki was often annoying her with pranks and she was often threatening him in retaliation.”

“Oh, they were my pranks,” Loki said, his tone knowing. “You were innocent, I suppose?”

“Well,” Thor shrugged but his smile said he wasn’t sorry.

Saga handed the bowl of dumplings to Loki and washed her hands.

“Can I get you some wine?” she asked.

“I brought some,” Bruce offered. “I didn’t know what we were having so I brought red and white.”

“We’re having beef but I’m not fussy about having red with red meat,” Saga said, drying her hands. “I even have some Rose. Which would you prefer?”

“Uh, I’ll try the Rose, actually,” Bruce said. “If that’s okay.”

“Sure.” She went to the fridge and felt the braille labels until she going the rose, then brought it to the counter

“Oh, here, let me,” Thor strode over as she was fishing in a drawer for the bottle opener.

“Brother, no,” Loki held his hand up, still covered in dumpling mix. “If she needs help she will ask for it.” His expression said he wasn’t kidding and Thor stepped away.

“Of course, I meant no disrespect.”

“Do you want to sit at the table or on the couches?” Saga asked.

“Table’s fine with me,” Bruce spoke up.

“And I,” Thor added.

“Okay, well take a seat. What wine did you want, Thor?”

“I find I have a liking for the red.”

“Coming up.”

She filled the glasses using her level indicator and Loki took them to the table so she only had to bring the two wine bottles.

“I hope you haven’t gone to too much trouble,” Bruce said as she approached but Saga was too busy counting to answer. 

“Sorry,” she said as Loki took the wine from her. She pulled out her chair and sat down. “I'm still not used to the dimensions down here, everything’s a little different so I’m a bit slow.”

“Take your time,” Thor assured her.

“Don’t rush on our account,” Bruce added.

“To answer your question, no, not too much trouble.”

Things were a little stilted to begin with. Loki didn’t say much as he preferred to watch until he had the lay of the land. Saga felt like she was hosting a dinner party or something, which was far more daunting than having Loki cooking her dinner. Two glasses of wine seemed to help everyone and before the meal was served, everyone had loosened up.

Loki got the stew and plates while Saga cut some fresh bread, then opened more wine. Both men asked if they could help but didn’t argue when they said no. Loki brought the pot of stew to the table and served everyone there but he left the pot in case anyone wanted seconds.

Loki’s cooking was delicious and everyone praised him for it. He tried to say that Saga deserved some of the praise but she wouldn’t hear of it. Thor had a second helping, a very large one judging by how long the pot and ladle clattered for.

She offered ice cream for desert but they refused and went straight for coffee, adjourning to the sofas to drink it. She could literally feel eyes on her as she pottered around the kitchen, making it in her new cafetière, and each time she moved, conversation paused for just a second, but no one interfered. She loaded a tray up with 4 mugs, the cafetière, sugar, milk and her level indicator, and approached them with it.

She hesitated as she neared the step down, feeling for it with her toes. She had walked all paths around the room earlier with her cane, asking Loki where she ended up, and if she encountered any unknown furniture, but she wasn’t 100% certain that she had correctly memorised the counts yet.

She made it to the sofa unharmed and placed the tray on the coffee table.

“So how are you settling in?” Bruce asked Loki as Saga poured the coffee, leaving everyone to add their own sugar and milk.

“I confess, I have been pleasantly surprised by my time here. Saga is educating me on the ways of your realm.”

“You’ve been here before though right? I mean historically,” he quickly added.

“I have, yes, but not for nearly two hundred years. You were rather barbarous and lawless then, taking advantage of anything, including people, to make a profit.”

“A lot has changed,” Bruce noted.

“And yet the more things change, the more they stay the same. Overall things are better, yet some places are still barbaric, and you cannot deny that your own country values money above lives.”

“He was watching a special report on Flint earlier,” Saga explained to the others, then she leaned back and towards Loki. “Are these the kind of unpleasant truth you tend to tell?” she asked him in a stage whisper.

“Indeed.”

She nodded then got back to pouring the coffees.

Where others might have bristled at his words, Bruce simply said, “You’re right, but you’re also right that things have improved. I'm not saying we don’t have a long way to go but we are trying, and that’s what counts. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“But your lives are so fleeting, you cannot hope to reap the benefits of the change you seek.”

“Maybe, but I’ll be happy just to leave the world a better place than I found it. I trust other people will carry on the good work.”

“That’s very selfless of you.”

“Or responsible.”

“I for one am amazed with human ingenuity,” Thor pipped up.

“You’re amazed by light bulbs,” Loki scoffed, looking to the others. “My first night here, he spent  a good ten minutes extolling to be the virtues of the dimmer switch in my room.”

“Tis true,” Thor laughed. “And I still do not quite understand how the little glass vessels produce light.”

“So wait,” Saga sat forward. “How do you guys see at night in Asgard?”

“Flame,” Loki replied.

“Isn’t that a fire hazard?” Bruce asked.

“The fire is magical,” Loki explained. “It produces no heat, requires no fuel and burns throughout the city, from dusk until dawn.”

“Oh, speaking of magic, you should tell Bruce your theory about why humans can’t harness it,” Saga suggested, sipping her coffee from one hand while her other sought Loki’s hand and entwined her fingers with his.

All night they had been close, touching each other in innocent ways, harmlessly flirting, neither hiding nor flaunting the change in their relationship status. Holding hands was as overt as they had been and Loki would not have chosen such an action, but he didn’t push her away.

He saw Thor and Bruce share a look but luckily Saga didn’t notice.

“What theory is that?” Bruce asked.

And Loki explained how humanity’s lack of predators meant that they did not need to evolve to harness magic in order to survive. Being a medical doctor (among other doctorates) they discussed his idea until it was time for them to leave.

“I think that went well,” Saga said as they headed to Loki’s rooms after clearing up.

“We shall see.”

“You need to be more optimistic.”

“When one’s life has been torn apart, optimism does not come easily.”

“I’m sorry, that was thoughtless of me.” Her life had been torn apart recently too so she knew first-hand how hard to was to be positive.

“It’s nothing.” Loki told her.

They headed to bed but Buddy was confined to the living room until Saga had a chance to check his programming.

They made love again and as they lay enjoying the afterglow, Saga found herself asking, “What happened to you, Loki?”

The silence stretched out for so long that Saga thought he wasn’t going to answer, and she didn’t push.

“I discovered I was adopted,” he finally said, his tone soft but clear. “I was actually the son of our enemies King, a monstrous race we feared and loathed in equal measure. I couldn’t return to such a barbaric race and when it became clear I would never truly be accepted as an Aesir, I committed suicide, then I awoke in hell.”

“And what you did on Midgard?”

“Was my only path out of Hell.”

“And taking Odin’s throne?”

“Revenge… and a burning desire to prove that I could do better than him. Now please ask no more, the memories are… unpleasant.”

“I won’t, and I’m sorry.” She looped her arm around his waist and pressed a kiss to his chest.

***

The next few weeks were awkward but bearable.

Saga returned to work the following day, going to her lab five mornings a week. Loki couldn’t join her without giving away his ability to leave his floor, so he remained in his rooms. He didn’t mind too much as he had plenty of reading material. He was even happy to spend time with his brother, who upon learning that Saga had taught Loki chess, also arranged for Bruce to play him. The games were always interesting not only for the tactics used, but because of their discussions. Their subjects varied from politics to geography, from science to religion. Loki was eager for knowledge and enjoyed discussion, especially with intelligent people like Saga and Bruce.

He received a few visitors while Saga was away but they had nothing of interest to say to him. He did feel a modicum of pleasure as Tony, Steve and Clint all left disappointed.

He wasn’t sure what was happening with Saga. He cared for her and usually would have said he was courting her, but she avoided any talk of defining their relationship or the future.

Odin had sent him to Midgard for an unspecified amount of time in the hopes that he could be rehabilitated. He suspected he would be here for years, possibly even decades but it was possible his lying, scheming, not-father could change his mind on a whim and call him home, and Saga would not be allowed to accompany him. Not even the golden son got to bring his mortal to Asgard. He couldn’t promise her a future either since it was unclear what might happen to him, so he didn’t press for more.

Since Loki couldn’t leave his floor, Saga was basically living with Loki now, she had clothes and toiletries down there, Buddy’s charging bed and other essentials. She knew the dimensions of his rooms as well as she knew her own now.

While she did sleep in her own bed a few nights a week, well, maybe a couple of times a week… All right, she slept in her own bed sometimes as little as once a week, but the fact was, she liked sleeping with Loki, and she really liked fucking him. Sex was the one time they were truly equals, when her lack of vision presented no problems at all. And he was damn good at it.

She had also discovered that Loki had nightmares from which he couldn’t be woken but if she held him and caressed him, he usually calmed down.

Thor and Bruce came for dinner about once a week, but usually they ordered takeout. Gradually others joined them, first Wanda, then Natasha while she was back for a few days. Next Steve, Tony and Clint all came together, safety in numbers, which was why Bruce, Thor and Wanda also came that night, to even things up.

Loki cooked again, a pork casserole, as though doing something so mundane and domestic would make him seem like less of a threat.

The evening was tense and this time wine didn’t help. Tony had started on the scotch before he came up and made numerous rude remarks, trying to get a rise out of Loki, but he had underestimated his opponent. Loki had been manipulating people for centuries and he could easily withstand a few barbs.

In the end his actions reflected well on Loki, who only answered back when Tony turned his ire on Saga.

Tony ended up looking like a jerk, and even Clint and Steve told him to knock it off.

Saga had checked Buddy’s programming and after changing all the passwords, was confident that he couldn’t be used to spy on her again. She took the time to go and see Tony afterwards, and thank him for trusting her.

“I don’t trust you, but you need him. Just remember he also has attack commands for when you’re in danger.”

With a sigh and a final, “Well thanks anyway,” she left.

Things with Tony had been difficult for a while, ever since the accident in fact, but she was now discovering that it was better to be frustrated with him, than to have him mad at her. It hurt because once, they had been friends. There was never any romantic feelings but they were intellectual equals and found compatibility in that. She missed having him as a friend.

She and Loki usually managed to leave the tower two or three times a week. Loki made sure to mention to someone that he was planning on taking a bath, or reading a book, so he wasn’t disturbed. He really only had to worry about Thor anyway, no one else came calling randomly, so they had their outings when Thor was busy. They didn’t get to go far, shopping with lunch or a stop at a coffee shop, her hair appointment every four weeks and nails every two weeks, and when they felt they could risk it, they went out on dates in the evening.

Every day Loki tested the limits of his bound magic and every day he pushed until he freed just a tiny fraction more, but each growth in power, however small, added to his abilities. He had nowhere near enough to create a clone to cover for him when he left, or even to leave a projection of himself behind, but he did have enough magic to turn himself invisible, which greatly aided in leaving the building. To date, no one had discovered his little trips out.

As well as seeing live music, some cinemas and theatres had audio descriptions tracks that she could listen to using a small radio receiver and ear piece, which made it something they could both enjoy. It wasn’t quite the same for Saga but she was trying to count her blessings recently, not just her losses. She wasn’t always successful, it was an ongoing process.

Loki was surprised when Bruce invited Loki down to his lab to offer advice on a project.

While Hydra had Loki’s sceptre they had somehow managed to shave a chip off the mind stone (killing four people in the process) before it became part of the Vision. Worried that perhaps there was another shard somewhere, Bruce was working on a way to block the power of the stone, and he thought Loki might be able to help.

Loki turned pale but of course Saga couldn’t see that.

“Sounds great,” she grinned, pleased that he was gaining enough trust to be let off his own floor for a while.

Loki swallowed down his discomfort. “Yes, anything I can do to help.”

Saga must have detected something in hi tone as she turned to him. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” he assured her.

He couldn’t tell if she believed him or not but she didn’t press it.

And so Loki strolled into Dr Banners laboratory on a Wednesday morning and faced the cause of his worst nightmares.

“Something wrong?” Bruce asked as he spotted Loki staring, transfixed on the gem shard.

“The stone,” he said.

“Unhappy memories of the battle?”

“This stone was my own personal hell long before I reached Midgard.”

“I thought it didn’t work on you, only us lesser beings.”

Loki tore his gaze from the glowing gem and looked at the doctor.

“We cannot be compelled in the way humans can, but the stone works on all beings. I was in hell thanks to this and if I thought it would be possible, I’d destroy it myself.”

“So when Thor told us your actions weren’t your own, he was telling the truth.”

“I had free will,” he explained. “I just had a distorted reality. I relived every betrayal in my life, from the tiny to the life altering, over and over, and the betrayals getting worse every time.” He stepped closer to the stone and his voice dropped to a whisper. “I gather I was only missing for about one of your years, but it felt like I had lived lifetimes in that year.”

His eyes were shining with tears as he remembered the visions this gem had shown him, the awful, hateful hallucinations that drive him to the brink of insanity before he acquiesced to Thanos’ plan.

Then suddenly he smirked.

“You get a good memory among the  bad?” Bruce asked.

“I got revenge, of a sort.”

“Revenge?”

Loki looked back at him. “I came here with one infinity stone to collect a second. He now has none.”

“So you planned to lose?”

“Of course.”

“Then why not just ask for help?”

“Because he would see that. Failure is one thing, betrayal is quite different. I have little doubt Thanos will catch up with me one day, but that day would have come much sooner if he thought I had double crossed him.”

“Should we be worried?” Bruce asked.

“I doubt anything will happen in your lifetime. Thanos is on the other side of the universe and tesseract remains on Asgard. There are perhaps three people in the universe who could open a portal to it from the opposite end of space, and my mother is dead.”

“Who’s the third?”

“Amora. I would not worry, she’s never ventured outside of the 9 realms.”

“You don’t have to do this,” Bruce said with more compassion than Loki probably deserved.

“Thank you, but as unpleasant as the memories are, as I said, Thanos will find me eventually and I would greatly value immunity from this stone when he does. My magic didn’t work, so perhaps your science will.”

“Okay, let’s get to work.” He directed Loki over to a computer. “The stone emits vita radiation, which I’m thinking might be how it works. If we can find a way to block the rays, other than three inches of lead, we might be able to stop its effects.”

“If I’m not mistaken, both you and Steve Rogers achieved your transformation in part through Vita rays, no?”

“You’re thinking exposure to vita radiation might make someone immune?”

“Or possibly more susceptible than average.”

“Well my change was through gamma rays but that might be even better,” Bruce mused. “Steve can be the experiment and I’ll be his control.”

“I suggest we ask Saga to come in here and ask her to try using the gem on you.”

“You don’t want to do it?” Bruce asked, which made Loki chuckle.

“I don’t believe for a second that I have earned that much trust.”

“You care that we trust you?” Bruce asked turning serious.

“I care that Thor is my keeper and you have power over him. Should my wrongdoings become too great, there is a very real possibility that he would move me, and I rather like it here.”

Bruce suspected that truth was he didn’t want to be moved away from Saga, but he wasn’t about to admit that he knew. Loki seemed to have some haunting memories surrounding this stone so if he needed a little bravado, Bruce saw no reason to take it from him.

“Am I permitted to fetch her?” he asked.

Bruce picked up the sceptre. “Why don’t we go to her, then our disturbance won’t be too great.”

Loki nodded and they headed towards her lab, two doors down.

***

It was quickly discovered that the sceptre did not work on Steve but did on Bruce, thus exposure to Vita radiation seemed to inoculate people against the mind stone.

There then followed a lengthy debate over the wisdom of letting Loki work on a stone which he could use to mind control his minder, Bruce. Loki left the Avengers to fight it out among themselves and returned to his rooms. By the next day, Bruce had won and Loki was back working with him.

Unfortunately, even without super serums, vita rays had unpredictable effects on the human body and could cause mutations. It was theorised that even the exceptionally low, naturally occurring vita radiation was responsible for creating the emerging mutant population.

Between the aliens, the inhumans and the super powered humans, the mutants had been overlooked, or classified as inhumans, thus most people were so far unaware of their existence.

Mutants however, didn’t prove to be immune to the gem, so low level exposure didn’t offer any protection.

Loki read everything he could about the different types of humans, trying to find something that might block the mind stone.

He was enjoying the challenge but so far, none of their ideas had panned out.

“Perhaps we need to lessen our scope,” Loki suggested one morning.

“How so?” Bruce asked, removing his glasses and punching the bridge of his nose.

“Rather than finding a preventative that will work for everyone, I believe we should focus on finding a group of people who are either naturally immune, or can be made so.”

“Like a front line protection?”

“Indeed. We already have one in Steve Rogers.”

“So how do you suggest we do that? We’d still be risking turning those we expose to vita radiation into monsters.”

“I think we should revisit the idea of a potion.”

“We discussed this, you said it was unfeasible.”

“I did, and while I cannot create a potion for seven billion people, I may be able to create one that can protect perhaps 25 from the effects.”

“Why so few?”

“Until I know what ingredients are needed and the precise quantities, I cannot say for sure how much I can produce. The most powerful magical ingredients are also the most rare and since I do not have access to the other realms, I cannot say how much I can make.”

“Okay, so how do we test it? We can’t give it to people until we know it won’t change them.”

“A tissue sample should be enough. Once exposed to the Vita radiation, we can run a DNA test and see if the structure has been altered.”

“Okay, what do you need?”

“I’m not sure yet, but while I develop a recipe, it would be useful if you could find me a botanical encyclopaedias. I need a record of every plant species on this realm… And possibly some animals or insects, but we’ll see.”

“I thought we couldn’t use magic on Earth.”

“As a species you haven’t evolved to, but what exactly do you think vita rays are? Your science found a way to harness magic. Just because humanity isn’t magical, doesn’t mean other species on Midgard, such as plants, haven’t evolved to harness such magical energies. Besides, with what you call mutants just beginning to evolve, it seems you are on the brink of an evolutionary leap. In another ten to twenty thousand years, you will probably be as evolved as the Aesir.”

Over the next two months Loki worked out Midgardian equivalents to the Asgardian ingredients in his recipe, some of which were nearly impossible to find, then they began the tedious trial and error of seeing if they worked, finding another similar substitute if they did not, then working out the correct mixture and ratio of ingredients, then testing each batch.

They were hardly any further forward after two months but Loki rather enjoyed the process. Besides, he had discovered substitutes for some of the ingredients he needed, it was five ingredients, common on Asgard, but which were proving difficult to substitute on Midgard.

Loki knew that somehow he would find a way however, and he loved a challenge.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The Avengers were called away fairly frequently but Tony, Clint or Steve always fabricated a reason to stay behind, taking it in turns to watch over Saga and her monstrous beau.

“I mean, even if you did want to kill me, how the hell are they going to stop you?” Saga ranted from her seat on the couch, and it wasn’t the first time she had voiced such sentiments. Her anger stemmed from the fact that she and Loki could have true freedom while they were gone, rather than sneaking out and being worried about being caught, and being denied that because some of her friends were paranoid, rankled.  

“But no, little helpless Saga has to be protected from the big bad wolf, so we can’t possibly leave her alone with the man she’s been sharing a bed with for four fucking months.”

“Quite literally,” Loki teased. “And speaking of fucking…”

He bent over the back of the couch and bit her neck, scraping his teeth over the sensitive flesh he found there. He knew that angry sex was the fastest way to help  her work off her resentment and since it heightened the experience for him, he was always more than willing to help.

Their pettiness annoyed him but he couldn’t say it angered him. Her anger on his behalf was very heartening however.

Grabbing two handfuls of his hair she yanked his head off her neck, but only so she could turn around and face him. He pulled her into his arms, dragging her over the back of the sofa then sitting her on it as he stepped between her legs. Their tongues duelled for supremacy while their hands tore at clothing, literally ripping it until they had access to what they wanted.

There was no foreplay, no sweet talk, no gentle caresses, and as soon as Saga’s trousers were ripped at the crotch and her panties shredded, he thrust inside her. Luckily she was turned on so he slid in without pain, but the sudden intrusion still took her breath away. Her nails clawed into his back and she bit into his shoulder, but even with all her might she couldn’t break his skin. Her aggression did spur him on however, and he began thrusting harder, almost painfully.

“FUCK!” she cried, but second slater. “Is that all you’ve got!”

The evil look Loki gave her said she would pay for that remark and he pulled out. For a second she thought she had pushed him too far and he was going to stop but instead, she found herself being forcefully turned around and bent over the couch. Loki bottomed out in her cunt a moment later, then grabbed her hair and used it to help pull her back onto his cock.

She tried to pull his hand from her hair but it was as like trying to pull a rock apart with her bare hands, but then winning wasn’t the point, working out her aggression was.

“Is this better?” he growled in her ear.

“Harder!”

He obliged, his free hand sneaking around her torso to maul her breasts and tug on her sensitive nipples.

“Yes!” she cried, despite still trying to pull him off. “Yes, harder, fuck me, Loki!”

He gave her breasts a reprieve, after all, it wouldn’t do to leave marks on her, but it was time her clit received some attention. He wasn’t exactly gentle, rubbing it at a frenzied pace. Her words dissolved into a muddle of noises until she came, screaming as her orgasm crashed through her.

Loki came moments later, oddly worn out himself despite being a demi-god.

Saga was slumped over the sofa, panting heavily.

She was so angry that she would have another round in her in her later, but she would need time to recover. Since their clothes were already damaged, he picked her up and carrier her into the bedroom, where he stripped her, then himself and climbed onto the bed beside her. They were both too hot to get under the covers.

“Are you all right?” he asked as she turned towards him and snuggled in.

“I’m sated, for now, but I’m still fucking pissed at them.”

Loki chucked. “Well rest while you can, love, I have plans for you later.”

He could feel her lips turn up as she smiled. “Promises, promises.”

***

“We’ve got a problem,” Steve said, jogging into Bruce’s lab.

Loki looked up but immediately returned his attention to the potion he was mixing.

“What’s up?” Bruce removed his glasses and approached his friend. He often didn’t accompany the Avengers on routine missions, only the ones requiring the ‘big guns’.

“The others are down,” Steve announced.

“What, all of them?”

“Far as I can tell.”

Loki’s interest was piqued but he didn’t look up in case it stopped Steve from talking.

“Where were they?” Bruce asked.

“They’re all together in Sokovia. If the GPS coordinates are accurate, then they’re in a church in a small town called Naglin.”

“You mean their trackers are still on?”

“Yes.”

“But they aren’t answering their communicators?”

“No, I haven’t been able to raise them for over an hour.”

“It’s a former Hydra base, it’s got to be a trap and they’re trying to lure us in too.”

“Well trap or not, we have to check it out. Let’s go.”

Bruce hesitated and looked to Loki.

“Forgive me,” Loki stood up and walked a few paces closer. “Do you mean to tell me that my brother has been bested by a lowly mortal?”

“Yeah, like that lowly mortal you’re-”

“Steve!” Bruce cut him off. “It looks that way,” he said to Loki. “Feel like coming with us?”

“He can’t come, he’s under house arrest,” Steve argued.

“But this foe, who or whatever it is, has bested Tony, Nat, Clint, Thor, Wanda and Vision,” Brude pointed out. “At this point, I think we need all the help we can get.”

“He’ll just take off.”

“He and Saga have been leaving the tower at least twice a week for months, and they always come back.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Jeeves would know.”

“Obviously not.”

“So how do you know?” Steve demanded.

“Because whenever Saga gets her nails done, Loki always has a fresh manicure that day.”

Loki looked to Bruce, surprised both that he had noticed and that he had kept their secet. Bruce nodded, a silent acknowledgement of the trust that had been shown.

“Look,” Bruce turned back to Steve. “Whatever is going on, it bested six of the most powerful people I know. I don’t like the odds of three against it, but I like that a lot better than two.”

Steve knew he was right and was running out of arguments. “All right, fine, but if something goes wrong, can I trust you to stop him?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Steve gave him a curt nod of agreement.

“You up for it?” Bruce asked Loki.

Loki, who had been looking towards Saga’s lab, turned to face him.

“Oh yes. If anyone is going to harm my brother, it will be me.”

“I thought you two were friends again,” Bruce seemed confused.

“Brothers,” Loki clarified, as if it explained everything. “May I have a moment to speak with Saga before we leave?”

“Of course.”

Steve had a face like thunder but he grudgingly admitted “It’ll take ten minutes to get the jet ready to fly.”

***

“Hey, Hun,” Saga said as he entered. She always knew who it was coming in.

“I have to leave for a little while,” he said hesitantly.

“Why?” she turned to face him and slipped off her chair.

“My brother is not answering his communicator, I must find him.”

“What about the others?” she asked, meeting him half way.

“The same. We have coordinates to begin searching.”

Saga put her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Just how unbreakable are you?” she asked.

“Humanity hasn’t invented a weapon that can kill me.”

“Okay,” she took a deep breath. “Here’s hoping it isn’t an alien threat.”

“Darling, I will be fine. You forget I am a warrior and for hundreds of years I have waged war against your so-called Aliens.”

“You’re right,” She nodded and pulled away. “You’re right. I guess I’ve just never sent anyone off into danger before.”

Loki took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly.

“I will be back soon,” he told her as he pulled away.

“Promise?”

“I give you my word.”

“Okay, then go kick some ass.”

Loki kissed her once more, a lingering kiss this time before he stepped away.

“Good luck.”

“Thank you.”

“Loki?” she called as he was nearing the door.

“Yes, Love?”

“Thank you for not asking if I would be okay on my own.”

“My pleasure. Just don’t stay up too late, homework done before the TV goes on, no drinking, no boys, and definitely no parties.”

Saga laughed, thinking that perhaps she had introduced him to a little too much Earth culture. Then again, nah.

“Get out of here and go save your brother.”

“As you wish.”

***

As they followed the GPS signal to the Avengers, they noticed that the town appeared to be deserted, abandoned long ago judging by the disrepair.

“Did Hydra drive the people away?” Steve wondered as they walked.

“People would make a very good disguise for an illicit operation,” Loki replied. “Therefore I doubt they were intentionally driven away.”

“According to the intel we had, the base is underground,” Bruce offered. “Keep your eyes open for possible entrances.”

They walked on, following the signal until they faced a church.

“According to my readings, they’re in there,” Bruce offered.

“Could this be the entrance to the base below?” Steve wondered.

“There is only one way to find out.” Loki began climbing the steps to the entrance, turning back mid-way when they didn’t follow. “But by all means, leave it to me to rescue your friends. I'm absolutely trustworthy.” His cocky smirk said otherwise and sure enough, Bruce and Steve began to follow.

“I don’t like this,” Steve meant following Loki.

“It feels like a trap,” Bruce was talking about walking into the church without doing any reconnaissance.

“Of course it’s a trap,” Loki said with a chuckle. “And we are going to spring it.”

“Seems a little too direct for you,” Bruce noted as he caught up.

“You think me more the type to scheme and manipulate?”

“Frankly, yes.”

“One of the best ways to manipulate is to keep your opponent off balance by doing what they least expect. Besides, there’s nothing these people can do to harm me.”

“That’s very reassuring,” Bruce deadpanned.

“You seem to be rather immune to death also. The Captain on the other hand, might want to wait out here.”

“I’m going!” Steve assured him.

“I thought you might say that.” They had reached the massive oak doors and as Loki took the handle he said, “Just don’t blame me when you die.”

The doors swung open and they could see straight down the aisle to the alter, where the bodies of their friends were laid out side by side.

“Be careful,” Bruce cautioned as they stepped inside.

“Are they dead?” Steve asked, looking carefully around as they made their way to their friends.

“They’re alive,” Loki assured him.

“How can you tell?”

“Because all living things give off energy, and I can still detect theirs.”

The church appeared to be deserted but they remained cautious and as they approached the bodies, Bruce knelt down and felt for a pulse in Wanda and Clint’s neck, while Loki looked to Thor and the Vision. To take down such powerful men their foe must be powerful indeed… or perhaps childishly easy. The best ploys were the simplest ones, because no one sees them coming.

Loki noticed that trapped in the wrinkles of Thor’s cape were small granules of some kind, almost like very fine sand and seconds later, a cloud of these particles filled the air, falling on them.

“What is this?” Steve asked as the substance seems to bounce off an invisible dome.

“A magical force field.” Loki explained. “It’s been surrounding us since we entered the church.”

“You’re protecting us?” Steve demanded.

Loki ignored him. “I noticed the particles on their clothing and surmised that perhaps they were drugged in some way.”

“You’re not supposed to have magic!”

Loki rolled his eyes and looked up, where the sand like substance continued to fall. The force field covered all of them, even the fallen avengers, but so much new powder was falling that it was piling up at the edges. Surely they must run out of whatever this substance was eventually but until then, he could not see where it was emanating from.

“I only have a tiny fraction of my usual power. So little in fact that I’m not sure how much longer I can offer you protection for,” Loki levelled a malevolent grin at him.

“Maybe leave the griping until his magic isn’t protecting you,” Bruce suggested.

“Will we suffocate I here?”

“We shall be fine, the field only repels anything larger than a carbon dioxide molecule.”

Finally the particles began to slow and the final ones slipped off the dome, revealing a youth standing on the rafters. He looked rather shocked that his plan had failed. After a second or two, he began shaking his hands at them.

“Did he do that?” Steve asked.

“Looks likely,” Bruce agreed. 

“What is he doing?”

“Perhaps trying to make more of whatever this is,” Bruce gestured to the substance piled up outside the field Loki had created.

“An Inhuman?”

“Probably.”

“He’s so frightened, he must be working alone,” Loki surmised. “Who are you?” He demanded of the youth.

“I- I’m the Sandman.” He was trying to sound brave but no amount of bravado could cover the tremble in his voice.

“Well that’s a deadly dull name,” Loki rolled his eyes, looking around for a weapon. “Why not call yourself dirt-man, or earth-man.”

“We have a legend here,” Bruce explained. “The sandman comes at night and throws sand in your eyes to help you sleep.”

“Ah, very fitting then. Are you alone, boy?” When no weapon presented themselves, Loki kicked a pew until the wood shattered, then picked up a rather hefty leg while the boy spoke.

“No! I have friends here, they’ll kill you, they-”

Loki dropped the field he was projecting and threw the wood straight at the youth, hitting him in the middle of his forehead and knocking his from his perch. Were it not for the quick actions of Steve in catching him, he could have been seriously injured.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Steve raged. “We need to question him, find out who his friend are, who-”

“He was lying,” Loki assured him, “No friends are coming to his rescue. He’s either here on a dare, or he’s a psychotic little twit on a power rush.”

“He could be working for hydra,” Bruce suggested.

“He could but he doesn’t. He’s a lone wolf, drunk on his new power and feeling invincible. No organisation that has survived as long as your Hydra would employ such a loose cannon, although it’s quite possible this was his audition for them.”

“How can you know all that?” Steve demanded.

“Because reading people is one of my skills.”

“Didn’t help you last time you were here.”

“Didn’t it?” Loki smirked at him. “Are you sure I just coincidentally happened to kill someone who meant enough to you all that you ceased your petty squabbling so you could all come together in a united front against me?”

While Steve pondered his words, Loki turned away and knelt down beside Thor, tapping his cheek. “Brother, wake up. Thor?” he showed signs of rousing but his eyes remained closed. “You’re late for training and Father is coming to watch today.”

“I’m awake, I’m awake!” Thor’s eyes shot open as he sat up. He looked disoriented for a few long moments. “Where am I?”

“You fell victim to the prank of mortal. Fandral will never let you live this down.”

“As if you will,” Thor grinned then looked around. “Why aren’t the others waking up?”

“I suspect because your metabolism is far higher. Let’s get them back to the jet, we can examine them back home. I have no desire to spend any longer in this crumbling town.”

“Crumbling or not, we must explore the base beneath the town and make sure it truly is abandoned.”

“How tedious.”

“If it helps.” Bruce butted in. “When we’re done, we were going to blow it up.”

Loki considered for a moment, then nodded at the doctor. “Very well, I shall help. Now tell me, what exactly are we hunting for?”

“Computers, records, weapons, anything out of the ordinary.”

“You guys get started,” Steve suggested. “I’ll stay here and watch them until they wake up.”

“First we must find the entrance,” Thor explained.

“Wonderful.” Loki rolled his eyes.

***

The entrance to the base was through the church and from there it was just a metal bunker that had been built into the hillside. Each room looked like the last and was sealed off with thick metal doors. It had been mostly cleared out but there were some rooms that had been left untouched.

It was a long and tedious task and what no one had thought to mention to him, was how long it would take. The answer to that question was, long enough for the others to wake up and join them.

Loki eventually discovered one room that interested him however, was which was full of old books, some hundreds of years old, none newer than 40 years old. He browsed the spines until a leather bound volume compelled him to take it from the shelf. It had no title embossed on the cover but its contents weren’t what mattered. The burgundy cover embossed with faded gold leaf had jogged a memory, something important, but he couldn’t remember what.

***

“Thor! Thor!” Loki ran through the complex until he found his brother and grabbing his arm, turned the blonde man to face him.

“Loki, are you quite well?” he was frowning at the odd behaviour.

“You have to take me back to Asgard, now, brother.”

“Loki, I cannot, you are banished from that realm for at least five years.”

“Thor, please, if you let me return for one hour, I believe I can cure Saga of her blindness.”

“How?”

Loki brandished the book he had found. “This reminded me of something I read centuries ago, it was a book on magic for Midgardians.”

“Midgardians cannot use magic.”

“No, no,” Loki shook his head, growing frustrated. “It was spells to use ON Midgardians, not by them and I’m fairly sure that one of those spells, Thor, was a healing spell.”

“I understand. Tell me where the book is and I shall get it for you.”

Loki turned away and dashed a hand through his hair. “That’s just it, I don’t know. I haven’t laid eyes on it in over 800 years!”

“All right, all right, so whose book was it?”

“I don’t know. I know I didn’t get it from the library, I think it might have been one of Mothers, but you know how freely she gave her books away, it could be anywhere by now.”

“And yet you only need an hour to find it?”

“I was lying!” Loki admitted. “Please, Thor, just take me back, I will deal with father and accept any additions to my punishment.”

Loki rarely pleaded and Thor finally acquiesced. Odin surely couldn’t do too much to Loki since his intentions were to help, not harm.

“Very well. Once we get back to the tower, I shall return with you and you may plead your case with Father.”

Loki nodded. As much as he would have liked to return to Asgard immediately, he knew he shouldn’t leave without telling Saga. If indeed his memory was correct and he could help her, seeking a cure without her permission was as high handed as her friends used to be with her.

“Thank you.”

Thor nodded in acceptance of that thanks. “Now let us get back to work for the sooner we finish, the sooner we can return.”

***

“You don’t seem happy,” Loki noted after he told Saga his intentions.

“I’m not unhappy, Loki but… You _might_ be able to cure me _if_ you can get an 800 year old book that you don’t know where to find. That’s a lot of mights and ifs and…”

“I _will_ find the book,” he assured her.

She scooted down the sofa and felt around for his hand. “Loki, I believe you, but I can’t just change my thinking. The rehab therapist advised me against dreams like that, he said that while there were improvements in medical science every day, I shouldn’t hope for that, if it happened, fantastic, but all the time I was waiting for it, I’d never move on. I had to be pretty tough on myself and I guess it’s hard to give up on that thinking. I’ve come so far and I’m still not completely independent; I don’t want to go backwards.”

She brought his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles.

“Please don’t think I’m ungrateful, but I don’t want to count my chickens until they’ve hatched.”

“Another idiom,” Loki sighed.

“Loki, please, try to understand. You talk of magic and unknown energies and miraculous healing, but that’s not my reality. For my own mental health, I can’t believe in this until it happens.”

“Then I shall just have to prove it to you.” He got to his feet.

“How long will you be gone?” she asked.

“Hopefully an hour or two, possibly a day.”

Saga stood up too, blocking his path to the door. “And you’re sure you won’t upset anything by breaking your banishment?”

“I’m certain.”

“Okay, well, thank you. I appreciate it.”

“No you don’t,” Loki pulled her into his arms. “But you will.”


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Saga’s concentration had been off ever since Loki left. One day, he’d said. It was now twelve days and counting.

“Hey, darlin’ you doin’ okay?”

“Tony, you don’t need to check up on me every hour.”

“I know, I want to, and it’s not every hour.”

“Gloating doesn’t look good on you-”

“Are you kidding Gloating looks great on me-”

“-And in any case you’re wrong, Loki is coming back.”

“-But anyway, I’m  not gloating, I’m worried.”

Saga rolled her eyes. “Even if you’re right, which you’re not but for the purposes of this argument, we’ll say you are. Even so, if I survived being blinded, I can certainly survive being dumped, okay? How’s the testing going on my latest armour plating?”

“Uh, good, I think. Still haven’t got the final report but preliminary findings are good.”

“I want that report as soon as you get it, okay?”

“Sure thing.”

“Good. Now get out. And don’t come back unless you’ve got my report or I’ll sic Buddy on you.”

The robotic dog raised its head and growled. She’d only been teasing but she didn’t chastise the dog.

Once he left Saga decided to call it a day and after calling Buddy to heel, she made her way back to Loki’s room. She’d been spending a lot of nights here, primarily because the rooms were filled with his scent and that was just about all she had left of him.

She didn’t know what to do with herself.

Well no, that wasn’t true, she knew what she wanted to do, what she would have done 18 months ago, but she just wasn’t brave enough now. It was hard enough to go somewhere new alone on Earth, how the hell was she supposed to make her way through Asgard with just Buddy? At least here the dog had access to Google maps, and she seriously doubted they had Asgardian maps.

But Loki had said one day at the most. How long did she wait before going to look for him?

Why hadn’t he come back? Why hadn’t Thor returned either? The thought of them both missing made her worry that perhaps Asgard had been attacked again and they were hurt… or worse.

She put Jurassic Park on because it was a movie that Loki had loved, and she settled on the couch with Buddy.

“Where is he, Buddy? Why won’t he come home?”

The dog whined I reply.

***

“And how are you finding your time on Midgard?”

Loki wanted to hit someone. This was the forty third person to come and interview him, although he didn’t know why they bothered since they all asked the same questions.

Saga must be going insane with worry, especially since he’d been rather miffed at her lacklustre attitude. He’d been so certain that he could find that book and cure her that he’d developed tunnel vision. He didn’t even stop to seriously consider how Odin might react.

Now to be fair to the man, while Loki wasn’t free to roam, he wasn’t in the dungeons and these interviews were being held with regards to the possibility of lightening his sentence. Odin said that the council each had to interview him though, then Odin would listen their opinions at a trial, where Heimdall, Thor, and even Loki could present evidence of his rehabilitation.

Which was why snapping at the man before him would do his cause no good whatsoever.

“I am enjoying Midgard very much,” Loki replied as cordially as he could.

Thor had been searching for the book, each day asking around on Loki’s behalf but so far, no luck.

Fifteen days and he had no book, no freedom, no Saga. He was starting to think that this had all been for nothing.

“Mortals are far more fascinating that I gave them credit for.”

“I understand you are helping them?”

“That’s true, I am assisting Dr Banner with something called science. Specifically we’re attempting to find a method to resist the mind gem. The work is-”

“Loki!” the door burst open and Thor stood there. “Loki, you must come quickly!”

“I’m confined to my suite,” Loki replied.

“But, you must come. She’s here!”

The guards outside the door blocked Thor’s exit. “Without express orders from the Allfather, we are unable to allow Loki to leave.”

Thor looked from the guards to Loki, who seemed anguished.

“Look after her, brother,” Loki asked.

“I’ll speak to Father then I shall bring her straight here,” Thor assured him.

Somehow, Loki doubted it. He could see his father’s hand in this and for reasons he couldn’t yet fathom, the man was meddling in Loki’s life once again.

***

“Heimdall, I know you can hear me because Loki says you can hear everyone, which must be hellishly annoying but that’s why I called you. I know you aren’t supposed to let humans into Asgard, but I also know you did it before, for Jane Foster. Please, Heimdall, I have to know if Loki’s okay, or if he’s being tortured for trying to help me or something. Please, I’m begging you, and I don’t beg very often, which you would know if you’d been watching. I know I have no right to ask this, but I’m asking anyway. I…” she sighed. “I don’t know what else to say, other than 'please'. I promise I won’t stay long, just-”

Suddenly she was swept up by something, hurtling at speeds she was glad she couldn’t see, until her feet finally hit solid ground again. She took a moment to adjust, keeping her knees bent and her legs spread.

“You okay, Buddy?” She still held his harness but there was no telling how he had survived the journey. He gave her an affirmative chuff and she reached down and stroked his head with her free hand. “Good Boy.”

“Welcome to Asgard.” The deep voice made her jump slightly as he hadn’t made any noise until this point.

“Heimdall?”

“The very same.”

“Thank you for bringing me.”

“My pleasure, but I cannot say how warm your welcome will be.”

“Is Loki okay?”

“He is. His fate is being decided as we speak.”

“His fate?” An ice cold chill suddenly filled her heart and it became painful to breathe.

“You need not worry, he is in no danger, but a trial is being held, I expect tomorrow.”

Saga swallowed. “Can I speak on his behalf?”

“That is not guaranteed but I suspect you will find a way.”

“I didn’t come all this way to sit back and watch,” she agreed. “So, can you point me in the right direction.”

“Of course.” He stepped down from his podium and stood before her. “Give me your hand.” 

She held her free hand out and he took it and guided her to the entrance to the bifrost.

“I regret I cannot take you to the city myself but I cannot leave my post.”

“I didn’t expect you to,” she assured him. “I don’t suppose you installed handrails on the bridge since Loki came to Midgard?” she quipped since Loki had explained the rainbow bridge to her.

“I’m afraid not.”

“That’s a health and safety violation,” she teased, covering her anxiety.

“Will you be all right?”

“I will, Buddy will stop me going off the edges.”

“Good. When you reach the city gates, I will have a carriage waiting to take you to the palace.”

“Thank you, Heimdall.”

“My pleasure, Lady Saga. Enjoy your visit.”

Saga urged the dog forward and as they walked, she kept her head high, her back straight and her shoulders down.

“Okay, Buddy, you better not let me fall off the edge because while I can swim, I really don’t want to look like a drowned rat in front of these people.”

The dog chuffed.

“Good boy.”

It was probably a good thing that she couldn’t see the city before her, nor the city gates which loomed hundreds of feet in the air, or she may well have been so intimidated that she turned tail and ran home.

She couldn’t appreciate the look of the city, but she did enjoy experiencing Asgard through her other senses. The atmosphere was warm and dry, with a light breeze, just enough to keep the heat from becoming uncomfortable. The air was scented with an unusual smell, a little like baking sponge but with floral notes. She could hear water gently lapping under the bridge and from the city, the most prevalent sound was birdsong.

Consequently she imagined a land where the city hasn’t smothered almost all signs of plant life but rather existed alongside it; a city filled with green spaces and trees, wide verges and parks on every corner.

Loki had told her that much of the city was gold, including the bifrost, and imagining such majesty as the sounds and scents made her envisage, she suddenly felt very underdressed. Wearing a black pant suit teamed with a green silk blouse, black ballet flats and oval sunglasses to disguise her unseeing gaze, she knew everything about her outfit must pale in comparison to what others here wore. She shouldn’t have asked Loki so many questions, then she wouldn’t feel so intimidated.

She could hear a very slight creak as what she assumed to be the gates opened before her, and from the length of time it took the noise to stop, she realised they must be massive.

She felt much like Jack must have, after he had climbed the beanstalk and entered the Giant’s home.

“My Lady Saga,” she heard Thor’s voice and instantly calmed down. She used to find him intimidating too but since she and Loki had started hanging out, she had grown to quite like the God of Thunder. “Come, I have a carriage waiting for you.

“Thor, is Loki okay?”

“He is fine, although worried about how his absence is affecting you.”

Saga visibly relaxed. “Can I see him, do you think?”

“He wanted to come and meet you himself, but Father would not allow it.”

“Where is he?”

“Confined to his rooms. Here, two steps up,” he helped her into the carriage, then Buddy climbed in after her, sitting between her legs and Thor took the seat opposite.

“Is he all right?” she asked as they moved off.

“He is frustrated. Father will not allow him to look for the book he seeks and I have had no luck searching on his behalf.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What have you to be sorry for?”

“All this fuss over me.”

“Loki does nothing that he does not want to,” Thor assured her. “None of this is your doing.”

“Thank you.”

“I must warn you, when we get to the palace Father has requested your presence.”

“That sounds serious,” she noted.

“The meeting will determine if you are allowed to remain on Asgard for long enough to testify at his trial.”

“Heimdall said something about that.” She swallowed down her nerves. “What if I’m not allowed to testify?”

“You will be returned to Midgard. You must be firm yet respectful if you hope to succeed.”

“Firm and respectful,” she repeated, stroking Buddy. “I can do that.”

“We are here,” Thor announced moments later, as the carriage began to slow.

Thor helped her down then, holding Buddy’s harness in her left hand and Thor’s elbow with her right, he led her into the palace.

She suspected people were staring but she couldn’t tell, so she ignored the footsteps she heard approaching.

The palace seemed very quiet to her, everyone speaking in hushed tones or simply nothing to hear except their own echoing footsteps. They walked in silence for what felt like miles, then Thor slowed his pace slightly.

“We are about to enter the main hall. When I stop, drop to one knee as a sign of respect and don’t get up until the Allfather says to.”

“I understand.”

Thus began the long walk to the throne.

She could hear people speaking in normal, if quiet voices here, and she heard what they said as she passed them.

“So that is Loki’s pet mortal?”

“And it has its own pet, how quaint.”

“What is she wearing?”

“Why would a prince choose a woman with such an obvious defect when, even with his crimes, he could have almost any woman he wanted.”

“She’s very plain.”

“Look how short her hair is, It hardly touches her shoulders.”

“Wearing Loki’s colours is a bold move.”

She kept her head high and pretended she couldn’t hear them.

“I expect he’s simply using her to kill time.”

“Sif, you really shouldn’t be so cynical.”

“So I should believe that monster genuinely cares for a blind mortal? I mean, she can't even play to his vanity if she can't see him.”

Thor’s pace slowed and when he stopped, Saga dropped his elbow and got to her knee. All the voices around them fell silent.

“Father, may I present to you the Lady Saga of Midgard.”

“Rise,” a rather imperious voice declared, from far higher than she expected it to come. “What is the meaning of this, mortal?”

“I came to see if Loki was all right, Sir.”

“And what did you intend to do if he was not?”

“That would really depend on why he wasn’t all right.”

Silence reigned for a few moments.

“I am given to understand that you are close to my Loki, is that correct.”

“Yes.”

“And what do you hope to gain from such an alliance?”

“Gain?”

“Yes, Are you hoping to wealth, fame, riches?”

“Do you really think of little of him that fame or wealth are the only reason anyone would be with him?”

“So why are you with him?”

“Because I love him.” She’d never said that before.

Odin was silent for a moment as he contemplated the woman before him.

“I also hear you’re having a trial tomorrow to determine his sentence.”

“And you believe you have something to add?” Odin asked condescendingly.

“His crimes on Earth are part of his sentence, are they not?”

“They are.”

“Then surely Earth deserves to have its say.”

“What do you possibly think you can add to proceedings that we cannot? Do you think yourself better than us, who have lived for centuries?”

“I’m not going to get into a pissing match over which race is superior, all I will say is-” she looked in the direction of the warriors three. “Lady Sif, is it? For your information, he is not simply using me to kill time and he is _NOT_ a monster. I’m blind, not deaf, and if Asgardians were really superior to humans, you _ALL_ would have realised that.”

She faced forward again, waiting to either be told she could stay, or be sent home.

The silence stretched out until it became painful and Saga began to perspire. She wanted to wipe her palms on her pants but didn’t want to show any signs of weakness.

“I will hear your testimony, along with Thor and my council. This evening we will be holding a ball to welcome Thor back, your and Loki’s presence is compulsory.”

Saga’s eyes widened behind her glasses but she wasn’t about to argue.

“Of course, Allfather. May I see Loki beforehand?”

“Thor will take you to him now and assist with anything you may need for this evening.”

“Thank you.” She curtseyed and allowed Thor to escort her out. She didn’t overhear any disparaging remarks this time, but she could just make out some hushed whispering.

She waited until they had turned left out of the main hall and walked another fifty paces before asking. “This party is bogus, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I expect father wishes to observe you and Loki together.”

“Well, it’s not exactly our natural habitat,” she observed. “David Attenborough would not be impressed.”

Thor laughed. “At least you’ve kept your sense of humour.”

“Why didn’t you come back?” she asked.

“I was forbidden.”

“Why?”

“Father said I had to stay until Loki’s trial was complete.”

“You sound strange.”

“Father has never requested such a thing before. Nor has he requested each council member interview someone individually.”

“So he’s delaying intentionally?”

“I believe so.”

“Why?”

“I can only theorise.”

“So theorise.”

“I believe he wanted you to come to Asgard.”

“What?!” Saga stopped walking.

“I think Father wanted to see your relationship for himself.”

“How could he know I would come?”

“I suspect Heimdall has been watching you. Perhaps you spoke of your intentions to someone?”

“No one. My debate was all in my head because I was afraid the others would try to stop me if they knew.” She wracked her brain, wondering if on one of those nights when she had been arguing with herself, someone had come in perhaps she had told them. “Buddy!”

“Pardon?”

“Sometimes I speak to Buddy. Heimdall must have heard that.”

“It’s very possible.”

“But what if I hadn’t come?”

“Then I probably would have been sent to retrieve you.”

“So this delay was a test for me too?”

“I believe so.” Thor took a deep breath. “My father is a hard man and his methods often seen harsh, even cruel, but there is always a reason for everything he does.”

“Maybe, but when you’re the one being manipulated, it’s hard to feel magnanimous.”

“Believe me, I know how you feel,” he said with sincerity.

“I suppose you do. So how many more miles until we got to Loki’s room?”

“Yes, it can seem rather endless.” Thor chuckled. “You will need a dress for this evening, I shall find a handmaiden who can attend to you.”

“How long until the party starts?”

“Another six hours, but Loki has two more interviews to give today, then you will have to get ready.”

“How long does getting ready take?”

“Never fear, you shall have some time to yourselves, but do not try to leave the rooms with Loki until I come to collect him.”

“He’s under house arrest?”

“Yes, and the ball this evening will be heavily guarded, so if he has any thoughts of escape-”

“I shan’t encourage them,” she assured him.

“Good. Now do I assume you are happy to share a room with Loki?”

“Very happy to.”

“Good, and here we are. Stand aside,” he ordered in a booming voice, and Saga almost stepped to the side herself, until she heard the slight clatter of metal as the guards moved. They must stand awfully still for her not to have heard them. She wondered how many others she had passed and been unaware of.

Thor opened the door and ushered her inside.

She heard a chair scrape the floor but no footsteps.

“My apologies, Lord Gour,” she heard Loki say. “This- I-” he paused to compose himself. “This is my ást, Saga.”

Thor urged her forward and she stepped towards Loki’s voice, knowing Buddy would stop her if there were any hazards, like steps.

She reached her free hand out, knowing Loki would have his extended, waiting for her and as his fingers closed over hers, she smiled. “Hi.”

“Hello.” The word was filled with such longing that Saga knew it was all he could say for the moment.

“I’ve come at a bad time,” she guessed.

“She may stay,” a strange voice said, probably the Lord Gour that Loki had spoken of. He sounded very imperious and clearly his words were an order not a suggestion, which made Saga bristle.

She had taken Thor’s words to heart however, and bit her tongue.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” she smiled in his direction.

“Well, I shall take my leave,” Thor said as Loki guided Saga to a couch.

“Are you in need of refreshments?” Loki asked Saga.

“We should continue,” Gour interjected.

“Of course,” Loki’s voice was as smooth as silk, which Saga knew meant he was pissed. “However my ást has travelled millions of miles to see me, walked most if the way from the bifrost and if I know the Allfather at all, he has not offered her so much as a glass of water. Forgive me if I see to her needs before you resume questioning me.” His voice was far warmer as he spoke to her, “Love?”

“Some water, please?” She made a mental note to ask him what an ást was.

He must have had some on hand as she heard him pour, then he placed it in her hand.

“Now, Lord Gour, what did you want to ask?”

The questions were inane and seemed designed to get a rise out of Loki, as if they were trying to make him lose his temper.

They obviously didn’t understand him at all, Saga thought. Loki would not give anyone the pleasure of succeeding in goading him, but he would get his revenge some other way.

“Is that true?” Gour asked.

“It is-”

“I wasn’t speaking to you, I was speaking to your companion.”

“It’s true,” Saga confirmed. “He’s been helping a renowned scientist find a way to resist the mind stone for weeks now.”

“But then you would lie for him, wouldn’t you.”

“You can send someone to fetch Dr Banner if you wish, and he can tell you himself.” She leaned forward. “Only don’t intentionally try and upset Dr Banner like you are trying to do to Loki and I. He’s the one who defeated Loki at the battle of New York.”

She smiled as she heard an audible gulp.

“Moving on,” Gour said. “Tell me about your relationship with these mortals, especially the one who defeated you.”

Saga squeezed his hand in solidarity.

The interview was painful but Saga was thoroughly impressed with how well Loki had handled himself, especially if he’d been enduring that daily for weeks.

“How long until the last one?” she asked once the door had closed behind him.

Loki pounced, pulling her onto his lap so she was straddling him.

“Long enough” he managed to say in between kisses. “I’m sorry-”

“Talk later, fuck now.” She pulled at the laces on his leather pants and suddenly wished she had chosen to wear a skirt.

She got off him only long enough to push her pants and underwear off one leg, then she climbed back on and positioned his length at her entrance then  lowered herself onto him, gasping as he stretched her sheath tight.

“Oh God, I missed this,” she said as she began to ride him. “Never leave me again.”

“I swear,” he promised her. “From this point on I will never leave your side so that any time I need to sample your sweet delights, I will have access. You will never refuse me, will you lover? You can’t help yourself.”

“Never,” she agreed. “But you won’t refuse me either, will you? Because you’re just as insatiable as I am.”

“True, but I have far more stamina.”

“Oh fuck!” she cried as he changed his angle slightly. “That’s true, so I give you permission to fuck my sleeping body, that way we should be about equal when we’re awake!”

Loki needed more stimulation and he took hold of her hips and began to slam her down onto him.

“Yes, right there! Yes!”

“Scream for me, lover,” he whispered seductively in her ear as he began to rub her clit. “Scream my name as you come on my cock, scream my name so everyone knows who you belong to. Scream my name purely because I want you to.”

“Loki!” she called. “Loki, oh god. Loki!” then she opened her mouth to scream but her orgasm robbed her of her voice and his name became an animalistic cry of ecstasy.

Loki continued to pull her onto his cock, prolonging her climax until his own hit, then he held her to him to he could pump his seed deep inside her.

Saga cuddled into him, his length still inside her as she recovered.

“If that’s how you say hello, you need to go away more often.”

“Never!” his arms tightened possessively around her.

“Just overnight then.”


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Saga was starting to understand why the Aesir tended to look down on  mortals, because everything here (with the exception of some of the people) was far nicer than on Earth.

Sitting on the sofa was like sitting on air. The bed was so comfortable she didn’t want to leave it to get ready. The clothes she was draped in were like silk, only lighter and softer. Her shoes had a slight heel, which she wasn’t used to any more, but the soles felt as thin as a few sheets of paper, and yet her every step was cushioned far beyond anything she’d worn on Earth.

She didn’t even know what the maid did to her hair, but even that felt like spun silk and she’d be willing to guess that it shone enough to make a L’Oreal advert jealous.

Her hairstyle was very carefully layered so it retained some length, but was low maintenance enough that she could let it air dry after a shower and it still looked decent. From what she could tell, the servant had somehow swept it up off her neck, and she could also feel metallic clips, but she could only wonder what they looked like.

Finally the servant declared she finished and Saga thanked her. The woman had a brusk manner about her, which is why Saga hadn’t liked to ask what she was doing to her hair but waited until she left to feel for herself.

“You look beautiful,” Loki said, sensing her unease with the unusual clothes and hairstyle.

“Thank you,” she smiled at him. “You look lovely too.”

“Thank you, I-” he shook his head. “Very funny,” his tone was droll.

“Sorry,” she giggled, approaching him. The room was so large that she knew she wasn’t at risk of running into anything.

“I forgive you,” he said, pulling her against him, “but only because your laugh is so adorable.” 

He leaned down and kissed her softly but before things could become too heated, someone knocked on the door.

“Loki? Are you decent?” Thor’s voice boomed even through the solid wooden doors.

Loki reluctantly pulled away from Saga, although he kept a hand around her waist and called back, “Absolutely not, but you may enter anyway.”

“Good, you are both ready,” he stated as he entered. “And Lady Saga, that gown is most fetching on you.”

“Thank you.”

“Come, a night of dancing, drinking, laughing and general merriment awaits us.”

“Sounds fun,” Saga said with false bravado.

“Do not fear, we shall take care of you,” Thor assured her, while Loki just tightened his hold on her for a moment, saying the same thing but with fewer words.

“Buddy?” she called, and slowly the robotic dog raised its head, then got it its feet, yawned and then he approached them, as if he’d been sleeping. In truth Saga had set it to standby to preserve the battery life, so it took Buddy a few moments to “wake up” properly and Tony had made him mimic a real dog waking up.

He still wore his harness and as he brushed against Saga’s leg, she reached down and picked it up.

“Come on then, let’s go party like it’s 1999.”

“Pardon?” Thor frowned. “By your calendar it is 2016 and by our calendar it is the year 509,332.”

“It’s a song,” Saga explained as they walked. “I’ll play it for you when we get home.”

“I would like that very much, thank you.”

As they walked, behind them she could hear the footsteps of four guards who had probably been stationed outside Loki’s room but were now his mobile guard.

Saga could feel herself getting nervous as they walked and her mouth was quickly drying up.

“Do you dance?” Loki asked, trying to distract her.

“I do, actually. My school used to have social dances with one of the local boys schools, something about learning to mix with the other sex, but they forgot that it isn’t the 1940s, so we had to waltz and foxtrot and all that shit. What kind of dances do you have?”

“We have a number of different ones,” Thor explained. “The two step, the three step, the four step, the-”

“Five step?” she guess.

“Why yes,” Thor laughed, “However did you guess?”

“Just a lucky guess.”

Saga could hear the music and voices long before they reached the main hall, everyone sounded very happy, which relaxed her.

“The music sounds lively,” she noted.

“Asgard’s balls are legendary,” Thor said. “You will enjoy yourself, I can assure you of that.”

Saga hoped so and was smiling as they turned into the hall, but her smile faded as the conversation around her ceased, then spread until the whole hall was silent and even the musicians ceased playing.

She felt Loki tense beside her but knew that any outburst from him would be detrimental to his trial tomorrow, so she tugged on his elbow, letting him know he wasn’t to do anything.

He wished she could tell if the silence (and probably staring) was for her or Loki.

She swallowed down her apprehension and plastered a false smile on her face.

Footsteps approached, something with a slight heel but not dainty steps.

“Lady Saga, welcome.”

“Thank you, Lady Sif.”

“How did you-?”

“I recognised your voice.” Saga could feel everyone’s eyes on them and she could almost hear then straining to listen in.

“Ah, of course. Please allow me to apologise if I caused any offence earlier.” Saga missed the glare Sif gave Thor, but the grudging nature of the apology didn’t escape her notice.

“That’s quite all right,” she grinned, “and allow me to say how lovely you look this evening.”

“Oh… well… thank you.”

It started as a smack jerk from Loki as he tried to hold his mirth in but he quickly gave up any pretence when she began to laugh with him. Thor joined in a moment later as he got the joke and just as the silence had seemed contagious, so the laughter too spread throughout the hall.

“I am sorry,” Saga tried her hardest to stop laughing but she couldn’t stop smiling. She held her hand out to Sif. “Call it even?”

“Lady Saga wishes you to take her hand as a sign of your truce,” Thor explained.

“I know!” And Saga received her limpest handshake ever so clearly Sif held a grudge, but since Saga didn’t intend to be here for much longer anyway, she wasn’t too perturbed.

The laughter was replaced with general chatter and Loki looked to Odin, who was watching from his raised table at the other end of the hall. He nodded towards the man, a smirk on his lips because tonight was a test of Saga more than Loki, and she had surely just blown Odin’s expectations out of the water, to use Saga’s Midgardian parlance.

Odin remained impassive and Loki urged Saga forward.

“How about a drink?” he asked her. “We have something approximating your wine here, although a touch sweeter.”

“Sounds perfect,” she smiled.

“Come join us,” Thor offered. “I’m certain there is fruit wine already on the table.”

Saga could sense Loki’s hesitation, although she could only guess at the reason for it.

“Come, Brother, there is no wrong that cannot be forgiven with ale.”

“That’s not a saying.”

“It is now,” Thor grinned, ushering them forward.

Loki made sure Saga got an end seat so Buddy could sit beside her, then he poured her a drink and with a “There you go, love,” he placed it in front of her, right in the middle, the way she liked drinks to be given to her on Midgard.

“Thank you.” Her hand found it the first time, hardly appearing hesitant at all.

“Allow me to introduce our friends,” Thor said, but from the slight twitch from Loki beside her, Saga guessed that perhaps Loki didn’t consider them his friends. “These are the warriors three, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg, and you’ve met Lady Sif.”

“So you are the Saga I’ve heard so much about?” someone spoke up.

“I suppose I am,” she smiled in his direction.

“I am Fandral, my Lady, and should you need anything at all, you need only ask.”

Saga was slightly offended by the implication that she was incapable, until Thor laughed and she realised his solicitous demeanour had a cause other than pity.

“This maiden is taken, Fandral, cease your flirting.”

“Can you blame me for trying?”

“I can,” Loki interjected, his tone indecipherable.

“Now now,” Thor interjected. “This is a celebration, let’s celebrate!”

“Would you like to dance?” Loki asked Saga.

“I’d love to,” Saga smiled. She really wouldn’t love to, she wasn’t at all sure she could follow in an unknown dance, but the tension at the table was becoming uncomfortable. “Buddy, stay,” she ordered.

The music had a 4/4 beat so she hoped it was something simple.

“Two steps back, two beats each, two side steps, one beat each, two steps forward, two beats each, two side steps, one beat each,” he whispered and as the moved, he repeated his instructions in time with her steps. “Back. Back. Side, together. Forward. Forward. Side, together.”

Sage quickly realised they were zig zagging around the floor and as her steps became more confident, Loki stopped his instruction.

“How are you?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully.

“Are you all right?”

“I think so.”

“Could you be a little more specific?”

“No, sorry.” Saga smiled. “Until we’re both safely back on Earth, I don’t think I’ll be able to relax enough to settle on one emotion to feel.”

Loki’s expression softened as he realised she wasn’t being difficult, she was just struggling to acclimatise to not only a new environment but also a whole new world!

“If I can help in any way, let me know.”

“You can make me scream later,” she said, a sexy smirk gracing her lips as she looked up at him. “Tire me out before bed.”

“That will be my pleasure,” he assured her. “Well, our mutual pleasure to be exact.”

They danced until the song ended, then Saga asked to be escorted around the room. Loki didn’t question it, he knew that since she couldn’t see her surroundings, she liked to experience them through her other senses.

“The music is exquisite,” she told him, “What instruments are they playing?”

“A kouhijjo, two manles, and a flute.”

“What do they look like?”

Loki caused by a wall, away from the throng, where they could observe in peace.

“The manles are like small harps with a solid wooden backing. The kouhijjo is like a guitar in that the back board has a hole, but without the hollow body. It’s also far more spaced out. The flute is made from bilgesnipe horn, approximately a foot long and slightly curved.”

“They don’t sound large, how can they fill this whole hall with sound?”

“Magically enhanced acoustics.”

“That’s a pretty neat catch all, that magic.”

“It is,” Loki chuckled. “I find it very helpful.”

“Indeed you do.” Saga jumped at Odin’s booming voice. She hadn’t heard him approach over the ambient noise.

“Allfather,” Loki stiffened beside her and his arm drew her closer to his side.

“How are you enjoying the festivities, Saga?”

“Everything here is lovely.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Odin told her.

“I’m not having a terrible time but I wouldn’t say I was enjoying myself either.”

“Why not?”

“Because I feel like I’m being tested and I don’t know how, or why, or what I need to do to be deemed to have passed. That makes me uncomfortable and is preventing me from relaxing, which is a prerequisite for enjoying myself.”

Odin was silent but she could almost feel his scrutiny on her skin.

“You don’t seem frightened of me,” he observed.

“Do you want me to be?” She was frightened, which was why her hands were both closed into tight fists at her sides to stop them trembling.

“What I want is beside the point. I am more powerful than you and I hold Loki’s fate in my hands. Most beings would fear me.”

“I’m a scientist, I believe in truth, facts and proof. Just because you’re more powerful than I am is not going to stop me telling the truth.”

“And you don’t fear insulting me?”

“If you recall, I was trying to be polite but you pushed for the truth. You can hardly justify being angry with me when I’ve given you what you want and if you were that petty, then you have no business ruling the most powerful realm in the universe.”

Odin was silent as he considered her once more.

“Was there anything else?” Loki asked.

“Yes!” Odin snapped in reply. “Given his crimes on your realm, why aren’t you afraid of Loki?”

“Because if he wanted to kill me, there is nothing I could do to stop him.”

“Isn’t that more reason to fear him?”

“No, because in six months of knowing him, he’s been nothing but good to me.”

“You don’t ever disagree?”

“Of course we do, everyone does, but he’s never given me a reason to be frightened of him. In case you hadn’t noticed, Loki doesn’t act in anger.”

“That’s not always true.”

“Maybe not, but from my own, admittedly limited observations, Loki does not act impulsively when crossed. If he feels revenge is in order, it’s well planned and deliberate.”

“And when he does not behave like that?”

“I’m not a psychologist but it’s out of character, so I would say there had to be a reason.”

“Would you?”

“Yes. If you’d like to question me further, perhaps we should adjourn to somewhere more fitting.”

“I have no further questions for you, not this evening at least but if you wish to testify tomorrow, do not expect me to go easy on you.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve seen enough court room dramas that it never even crossed my mind.”

“Enjoy your evening.”

Saga relaxed when Loki did as she took it as a sign that Odin had gone.

“Your dad is scary,” she told him.

“He’s not-”

“I know. He’s still scary.” She took a deep but shaky breath.

“Let’s get some air,” he told her, leading her out to the balcony with an arm around her waist, and swiping a jug of something from a passing server.

There was a gentle breeze on the balcony and Saga realised that she had grown warm while being interrogated.

Loki steered her towards the railings, hoping she couldn’t hear the guards, who had been following behind them since they left the dancefloor.

“Here,” he stopped by the balustrade then conjured two goblets and poured them both a measure, handing her one. “It’s mead not wine, but I think you’ll enjoy it.”

She took a sip. “Oh, that must be what ambrosia tastes like.”

“Ambrosia?” Loki smiled.

“The nectar of the gods in Greek Mythology.”

“A very apt term indeed.”

“ _Everything_ here is lovely,” she said, taking a deep breath. “It’s like living in a dream.”

“Some dreams can turn into nightmares,” he observed.

Saga nodded her agreement.

“Drink up,” he urged.

“I don’t want to drink too much and be hungover for your trial.”

“One won’t hurt and you’re still shaken after being ambushed by Odin.”

“Okay.” She drank another few mouthfuls. “Kiss me?”

Loki hesitated, aware they were being watched by four guards, numerous other guests and although he couldn’t see him, probably Odin too.

“Is that frowned on here?” she asked. “No PDAs?”

“No,” Loki decided that if she didn’t worry about their audience, he wouldn’t either and he pressed a tender kiss on her lips. “You taste of mead,” he told her.

“You taste of sin,” she whispered.

Loki chuckled. “If you keep saying such naughty things, I may not be able to control myself and will end up fucking you in front of all these nice people.”

“Now who’s saying naughty things,” she chided.

“It might almost be worth it to see the look in Odin’s face.”

Saga chuckled.

“Should we go back inside? I don’t want the guards to think you’re making a break for it.”

 Loki caught the eye of the closest guard. “I have a feeling they know that.”

“Still, this whole social event is a test of some description, and I doubt ‘hiding in the corner’ is the way to pass it.”

“Very well.”

He led her back to Thor’s table but Saga couldn’t join in with the conversation very much, although she listened avidly. Loki seemed removed too, only really interacting with Thor and Fandral. She switched to water for the rest of the evening, preferring to keep her wits about her, and Loki followed suit.

Fandral and Thor both asked her to dance and she accepted, albeit grudgingly, and she just about managed to keep up with them.

Loki asked a few maidens to dance, those who would overlook his crimes in favour of his title, but only because saga told him that he had to try and mingle a little.

As the amount of alcohol imbibed increased, so did the noise in the room and at the table, but the tensions eased and both Loki and Saga joined in more; even though they weren’t drinking, they couldn’t help but be swept up in the merriment. 

Since they had a virgin audience in Saga, the talk turned to battle stories and they all began to recount their favourite tales, either ones that showed heroism, or ones which were amusing. As the warriors and Sif mellowed, even Loki shared a few stories, and Saga was suitably impressed or amused in turn.

As the evening wore on Loki held her closer and as he invited her up to dance, they did little more than sway and Saga rested her head on his shoulder. It felt remarkably like the school discos she used to attend during sixth form, especially since she was sure there were many eyes watching them, both peers and chaperones.

“Tired?” Loki asked.

“More like relaxed,” she sighed contentedly, marvelling at how she had been dancing on and off all night yet her feet didn’t hurt.

“Ready to go?”

“Whenever you are. You promised to make me scream, remember?”

“I always keep my promises.”


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Loki was taken away by guards in the morning, but Thor escorted Saga to the grand hall and sat beside her. She could hear numerous voices around her but fewer than last night.

She was wearing another Asgardian gown this morning but she had also donned her sunglasses since she felt naked in public without them.

Loki had explained roughly what would happen over breakfast that morning so Saga knew what to expect within a little, although the specifics eluded her. Unfortunately she had learned that testifying didn’t just mean being able to make a speech, although she could, but she must also face questions from anyone who wished to ask.

From the voices around her, she could tell that she and Thor were seated near the front of this assembly, although the acoustics told her there was space in front of her.

For some insane reason, she was picturing a court room from Law & Order, with Odin as the judge, Loki the defendant and she and Thor as his defence council. It was a ridiculous imagery but it actually served to calm her down.

The voices around her began to quiet and a moment later she heard what sounded a little like a very large gavel, but she presumed it was Odin banging gungnir against the dais. It was more amusing to picture him banging gungnir like a gavel though.

“We are here this morning to review the sentence of Loki and consider the possibility that he might be rehabilitated. I will hear testimony from anyone who wishes to speak then under the advisement of my council, I will make my decision. Who wishes to speak first?”

“I do,” Thor announced, which Saga was grateful for. Thor was popular and well liked, his public and unwavering support for Loki would go a long way in convincing people that Loki could be saved.

Unfortunately Odin seemed determined to find only the bad and twisted each situation to try and make Loki look bad.

Saga reached out to stroke Buddy in the hopes it would sooth her.

“But Loki has stated that he fears retribution from Thanos, has he not?” Odin asked.

“Well yes,” Thor was forced to answer.

“So his offer to help the mortals overcome the powers of the mind stone could be selfish, because he fears this stone being used against him?”

“I…”

“Yes or no!” Odin demanded.

“It might be.”

“Thank you. I now open the floor to others.”

“May I, Allfather?” a new voice enquired.

“You may,” Odin replied.

“Prince Thor,” the stranger began. “There is no actual proof that Loki was ever acting under Thanos’ duress, is there?”

“Uh, I… I suppose not.”

“In fact Thanos has not been heard from in thousands of years, correct?”

“I am unsure,” Thor replied.

“So this could all be a convoluted story Loki has concocted to make himself seem like a victim, no?”

“I don’t believe so,” Thor replied with conviction.

“You don’t _believe_?” he sounded incredulous.

“That is what I said.”

“Hmm,” his tone was sceptical. “I open the floor to others.”

Saga had heard enough of this railroading and got to her feet. “Allfather, can I question Thor?”

Odin didn’t answer for a long while but eventually he told her, “You may.”

She faced where she thought Thor stood.

“How many times as Loki saved your life?”

“Oh, far too many to count,” Thor replied, his voice much warmer.

“How many years had he fought by your side?”

“Fought!” the previous questioner interrupted. “Past tense.”

Odin’s gavel banged. “One at a time,” he ordered, and Saga was pleased that angry remark was not aimed at her. She supposed being human, the Aesir had thought her exempt from the rules and felt free to interrupt.

“It’s not just in the past tense, correct? Before you returned to Asgard, didn’t Loki save you and your friends on Midgard?”

“Indeed he did,” Thor confirmed. “And he helped me fight the Dark Elves. He _still_ fights by my side.”

“Thank you, so back to my original question, how long as he fought by your side?”

“Eight hundred and eighty one years.”

“And for how long has Loki fought against you?”

“Approximately three years.”

“So his bad behaviour is what’s out of character?”

“Yes.”

“And do you have any idea why he might suddenly turn from a protector of the realms, to an enemy of them?”

“He discovered father had lied to him, that he was adopted and even worse than that, he was a Jotun, a race we were raised to despise.”

“A race you yourself tried to wipe out, correct, just as Loki did, after they interrupted your coronation?”

“Indeed.” He sounded ashamed.

“Were you to discover that everyone you loved had lied to you, that you were in fact the son of your enemy, how might you have reacted to that news?”

“I believe my reaction may have even been worse than Loki’s. I cannot even imagine surviving such a revelation, especially as I was then.”

The next question was important and Saga lowered the volume of her voice, addressing Thor and Odin, although she knew everyone else would try to listen in.

“Do you believe that Loki is the monster everyone makes him out to be?”

“I know he is not.” Thor’s reply was equally informal, warm and friendly in tone.

“Despite being born Jotun?”

“I care nothing for his race. He is my brother and I know him better than anyone. At heart, he is a good man.”

“Thank you.”

I sat down.

“Thr floor is open,” Odin said.

A few people had other questions but none were as harsh as the earlier ones, a few even seemed to possibly be on Loki’s side.

At the end, Thor got to make his speech, asking for lenience for his brother, who was on his way back to the light.

Heimdall was next, who spoke of Loki’s recent time on Midgard, followed by Fandral, then when no one else stood up, Saga did. She wanted to go last so that she was the most recent thing on Odin’s mind while he considered what to do with his son.

Thor led her to a platform where she had to stand, her dog sitting at her side.

“You are Saga Lang, citizen of Midgard and Loki’s consort, are you not?” Odin asked.

“I am.”

“You have known Loki for six months, correct?”

“Yes, and we’ve been a couple for five of those months.”

“It’s clear from your questions here today, that you believe Loki is not to blame for his actions of late.”

“Not at all, Loki bears responsibility for his recent actions, but he does not deserve _all_ the blame. There are mitigating circumstances which, in some cases, I believe absolve him of almost all blame.”

“You mean discovering his birth?”

“That’s one mitigating circumstance.”

“He has been cared for and loved for a thousand years, yet one lie justifies his actions.”

“Nothing justifies his actions, but it does mitigate them. Where I come from it’s illegal not to tell an adopted child the truth about their birth, because it’s been proven that discovering you are adopted later in life is devastating. Not only is it’s a huge betrayal that usually irreparably harms the relationships, it rips away a person’s whole identity and self-image. Loki didn’t just face that knowledge, he had to come to terms with the fact he was actually a member of a race he was raised to hate, and that he wasn’t adopted out of love, but as a political pawn. I’m not surprised he snapped.”

“So his actions are my fault?” Odin sounded incredulous.

“May I ask you a question?” she replied.

“You have not yet answered mine.”

“I will, if you’ll answer my queries.”

“Very well.”

Saga took a calming breath.

“Do you believe Loki attacked the Jotun out of Malice?”

“I do.”

“Do you believe Loki is bad?”

“I do.”

“And do you think Loki wants to destroy you?”

“I do.”

“If he is so bad, if he is pure evil, if he acts only out of malice, why did he let go and fall into the void?”

“Because he had failed.”

“Do you try and kill yourself if you fail?” she asked. He didn’t reply so Saga continued. “I believe Loki lost all sense of reason. He knew you had always looked down on him so with Thor gone, he finally saw his chance to prove to you that he was worthy of your love, and when he still failed to win your approval, he chose to die rather than live with having failed _you_. On Midgard we have a defence called temporary insanity, when a situation is so traumatic, so difficult, and the provocation so great, that a person loses sight of right and wrong for a time. The means justify the end and acts they would not normally commit seem reasonable. I believe that happened to Loki.”

“He tried to wipe out an entire race! How is that ever justified?”

“Isn’t it true that just a few days before, he had told a guard to fetch you to prevent Thor going to Jotunheim and doing the exact same thing? If so, what happened in those few days that he went from trying to prevent a war with the Jotun, to trying to wipe them out himself? How can his behaviour possibly been seen as cold and calculating when it’s clearly governed by distress?”

“And what of his actions on Earth, how do you excuse them?”

“Thanos found him in the void and warped his mind.”

“And taking my throne from me?”

“Because when he failed to win your approval, all the love that he has for you turned to hate. That hate festered and grew, because he was never good enough for you, even before all of this. You had the love, respect and loyalty of one of the most noble men I’ve ever met, and you threw it away as if it was garbage.”

“You are hardly past your third decade and you think you can tell us how to judge Loki’s character?” Odin scoffed.

“Yes I do, because you have been blinded by your ego. The truth is, you _want_ to believe Loki is bad, evil, a monster, because that absolves _you_ of blame. If you see him as a warrior for good for 800 years, then you might have to admit that you fucked up and _you_ are the reasons Loki started down a dark path.”

Odin was silent for a long time and Saga was almost trembling with fear, knowing she had surely gone too far.

“Allfather, I have a question for this girl,” she heard Thor say.

“Speak,” Odin ordered.

“Lady Saga, I have observed that Loki is more pleasant in your company than others, more open and less guarded. Why do you think this is?”

“Because I have no expectations of him.”

“Uh, I wonder, could you expand on that a little.” She wasn’t sure if it was Thor or everyone else who looked confused. She did well without her sight but she had to admit that some things were just so much easier with sight, like gauging the mood and temperament of a room.

“When people make judgements about you, they have expectations of you and they can make those expectations come true. A child thought to be bright might receive extra tutoring, to make the most of their intelligence. Maybe they really are more clever than their peers, or maybe they’ve just learned more. Conversely a child thought to be trouble maker will likely have its actions examined more harshly, be told off for small infractions, or even genuine mistakes, while other children would be let off. Teachers can mark them down, they can find themselves blamed for others actions, and generally just be treated unfairly. That sort of treatment breeds anger and resentment and since the child can never win, they actually begin to act out, becoming what they were already supposed to be.

“Those are simplified examples but they hold in more complex situations too. We call it a self-fulfilling prophecy; if you expect something to happen, either consciously or unconsciously, you can make it happen. When it came to Loki, I had no preconceptions. I was too depressed to be frightened of him and I was lonely; I’d spoken to nothing but machines for days, so I was actually eager to interact with someone new, regardless of what people said he’d done. He was nothing but nice to me, kind, inquisitive, but not overbearing, he respected my boundaries. I think that without other people’s expectations of him, he was free to be who he really is, someone closer to the brother you used to know, before the secrets your family kept blew up in his face.”

“Thank you.” She thought she herd Thor sit down.

She wished she could see Loki, see if he wanted her to say these things or not. What if he was upset with her? Maybe she had embarrassed him, revealing weaknesses or something. He hadn’t spoken at all since this hearing began, so she didn’t even know which direction he was in.

She felt tears sting her eyes a she considered how he must feel, being held up for judgement.

“Have you anything else to say to this trial?” Odin finally asked.

“No.” Even if she did, she couldn’t recall it now.

“Very well, you may return to your seat. Does anyone else wish to be heard?”

Thor came to lead her back to her seat while Odin addressed the crowd.

“I have spoken with my council and having heard the testimony given this morning, I have reached a decision. Loki, I hereby offer you a choice. You may return to Midgard, banished for the rest of Saga’a natural life… or I will return this book to you-”

“You had it all this time!” Loki yelled, clearly affronted, and if it was the book Saga thought, she could understand why.

Thor reached out and put a hand over her fist, a silent plea for her to remain calm.

“Silence!” Odin roared, loud and suddenly enough to make Saga jump. “As I was saying, I will return the book to you so you can restore your beloved’s sight, but for the remainder of Saga’s natural life, you will serve your sentence confined to the palace. Any further wrongdoing will see you banished to the dungeons.”

“No,” she whispered, too stunned to find the air to yell. “He can’t do this.” She turned her hand over and held Thor’s in a death grip. “What kind of a choice is that?”

“An impossible one,” Thor acknowledged.

“Allfather,” she heard Loki say, and found herself standing up.

“Loki, no, don’t do it! I’d rather have you-”

“SIT DOWN!” Odin’s voice boomed, accompanied by the loud crack of his sceptre. “If you interrupt this proceeding again, I shall have _you_ removed to the dungeons.”

Thor was tugging on her hand and with reluctance, she sat back down, her free hand finding Buddy’s head as her tears fell. She knew Loki would chose her over himself, but he didn’t know what was best for her.

In truth, nor did she. The idea of being able to see again was tantalising, but the idea of losing Loki was devastating.

“Allfather,” Loki began again. “With all due respect,” meaning with no respect whatsoever, but he was required to be polite, “this is not a decision I can make.”

“Do you wish me to decide for you? Perhaps I should put it to a vote.”

“No, Allfather, but I cannot make this decision alone as it is not only my fate at stake.”

“You wish for a mortal’s opinion to be taken into account?” Odin said with derision.

“Our fates are intertwined and both choices affect Saga.Iin all good conscience, I cannot make this decision without at least talking to her. To that end I request an adjournment so that I might speak with my ast .”

“Denied.” Odin dismissed his request as though it was nothing.

Saga made to rise but Thor tightened his grip on her hand, reminding her of Odin’s warning. She in turn gripped Thor’s hand so hard that her own ached and although she couldn’t see it, even he winced slightly.

“It is your consort’s opinion that I am partly to blame for your actions,” Odin said, his voice calmer and although she might be imagining it, more frail. His next words surprised her. “And she is correct. I have wronged you and for that, I am sorry. When I sent you to Midgard, it was with the hope that you would learn a little humility, that you might still become the man you were on the way to becoming. I’m pleased to say that you have exceeded my expectations and believe me, I have been watching. The choice I offered you was my final test of whether you esteemed a mortal enough to respect her wishes above your own.”

Saga found herself hardly breathing, not daring to hope that she was hearing correctly.

“This does not mean that your past crimes are wiped out, only that you will be granted an opportunity to prove yourself. You are hereby sentenced to serve Midgard for a period of 100 years. This time when you return, your magic will be restored to you, and yes, I will allow you the book you sought when you returned here. It belonged to your mother and as per her wishes, all her magic books are yours. You will return to Midgard tomorrow morning and while I will remove your personal guard, you will be confined to the palace grounds.”

Odin banged his sceptre on the ground with finality and Saga was able to breathe again.

“Loki’s free?” she asked Thor.

“Aye.”

“This isn’t some trick?” she asked.

The chatter around her was increasing as people discussed the verdict and filed out.

“No trick. Here he comes now.”

Saga had to force her hand to loosen its grip on Thor’s, then she stood up, just in time to be swept into Loki’s arms. She put her arms around his neck, bent her knees off the floor and allowed him to spin her around.

“Oh Loki,” she said, choking up with emotion.

Loki stilled but held her tightly, closing his eyes and drinking her in.

When he finally released her, only a handful of people remained, including Thor, who was brandishing the book they needed.

“We should go,” Loki said. “It may take some time to gather what I need for the spell.”

“Okay, just promise you won’t go anywhere without me from now on.”

“That might be difficult, but I promise,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her hair as he led her from the hall.

“You can go to the bathroom alone,” she amended.

“Thank you.”

“And you can work from your lab still, well, technically it’s Bruce’s lab. Maybe you should get your own lab.”

Loki smiled and kissed the top of her head again.

“And I guess you can see your friends and go to a baseball game and stuff without me.”

“Very generous of you,” he teased.

“You just better always come back. Don’t think I won’t come and get you again, drag your ass home.”

“Is that why you came here, to drag my ass home?”

“Better believe it,” she said with a laugh.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Saga lay on Loki’s bed, a scarf tied around her eyes, securing some kind of prickly plant matter to her eyelids. It didn’t hurt, exactly, just irritated.

Loki had laid his hands over her eyes and was chanting something very softly, almost under his breath.

“Oww!” she cried, her hands rising to her head.

“Please,” he implored, “try to remain still.”

She put her hands down and tried to relax. The pain came again, like a sort of sharp pricking inside her head which grew in intensity. She clenched her fists, trying her hardest not to move but soon it was going to be impossible. She clamped her jaw shut, unable to stop herself from grunting as she breathed out. It was like she was being stabbed by a hundred tiny knives but she knew that even if she raised her hands, she wouldn’t be able to stop the pain because it was inside.

Tears began to leak from under her lids.

“Just a few more moments,” he pleaded. “You’re being so brave.”

It took everything she had but she managed to remain still, then the moment he withdrew his hands the pain eased.

She began panting from the exertion of keeping still.

Loki untied the scarf and removed the things over her eyes, replacing it with a cool, damp cloth.

“Oh, that feels good,” she said, raising a hand to hold it in place.

“The residual ache should fade quickly,” he explained. “Once it does, you should be ready to open your eyes.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat at the thought she might be able to see soon. She tried to damp it down but the hope refused to die.

Loki removed the cloth a few times, rinsing it in a bowl of something that smelled of daffodils, then reapplying it. Each time the cloth was removed the light felt a little bit brighter through her lids but when she tried to peak, it was so bright that she had to squint her eyes almost shut, but she was slowly growing accustomed to the light. It only added to her hope that his spell had worked.

“How do you feel?” he asked, removing the cloth again.

“Okay.” She tried to open her eyes, squinting against the light as they tried to adjust, but Loki placed a hand over them,

“No, no, the first thing you see should be amazing.”

He placed the cloth back over her eyes, holding it in place with one hand while he took her hand and urged her to sit up. She took over holding the cloth in place and Loki got off the bed and tried to get her to stand, but she resisted.

“Come to the terrace, let the first thing you see be the wondrous view over Asgard.”

“Loki,” she tugged back. “Sit down.”

He perched on the side of the bed again and Saga moved into a more comfortable sitting position. She lowered the cloth but kept her eyes closed.

“You said the first thing I see should be amazing,” she reminded him.

“I know, love, that’s why-”

She placed her hand over his lips.

“That’s why I want the first thing I see to be you.”

She felt his lips curl up in a smile.

“You think I'm amazing” he asked with pride.

“I do.”

Her eyes had adjusted to the light through her lids but when she tried to open them she had to blink a few times until she could keep them open. Her vision was blurry at first but once she was able to keep her eyes open it began to clear and slowly, Loki came into focus.

Her smile grew as her vision cleared, but it soon misted over again as her eyes filled with tears.

“Hi,” she said, her tears spilling over.

“Don’t cry,” he teased. “I’m not that ugly, am I?”

She laughed through her tears and reached out to cup his face in her hands, running her thumbs over his cheekbones. Her eyes constantly roamed his face, taking in every detail from the cupid’s bow on his thin lips, to the shadow his lashes cast over his cheek.

“Am I what you expected?” he asked, sounding hesitant.

“Not exactly but not far off. Your lips are thinner than I imagined, your hair felt a little shorter, and those cheekbones are to die for.” She stopped for a moment and tilted her head one way, then the other. “And your eyes, they seem to change colour very slightly.”

He smiled, pleased with her observation. “An effect of being a shapeshifter.”

“You’re a shapeshifter?”

“How do you think I was able to disguise myself on Midgard?”

“I don’t know, I guess ‘Magic’ just seemed to cover it all.”

She laughed, then leaned forward and pressed a reverent kiss to his lips.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“I’m okay.”

“And your eyes?”

“They’re a little sore, sort of grainy, but I’m sure that will pass.”

“It will,” he assured me. “But you must tell me if you feel pain or any increase in discomfort.”

“I will,” she assured him, wiping away her tears I case they were worrying him. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “Thank you,” she told him, which caused fresh tears to fall.

Loki put his arms around her and pulled her to him.

“I’m sorry,” she snivelled.

“Ssh,” he soothed, rubbing her back. “It’s all right.”

“But I’m supposed to be happy.”

“You’re just overwhelmed,” he reassured her. “Let it out.”

So she did, sobbing in his arms for reasons she didn’t fully comprehend. She was happy, sure, ecstatic to be exact, and she was overwhelmed at having something back that she thought she’d lost forever, but she was also feeling pain and grief. It was as if the negative emotions she’d been repressing, that she’d needed to repress in order to adjust to her new circumstances, were now flooding out of her.

Loki laid them both down in the bed and she curled into him while she cried.

She’d experienced the denial and isolation, moved onto anger, then she’d stalled. There was an underlying depression she lived with, although in truth she forgot to live and focused on her work, on learning to function while blind, anything to distract herself from admitting her grief over her loss. She wasn’t suicidal but in all honesty, she wasn’t too bothered by the thought of dying, sometimes she thought it would be a relief.

All those repressed emotions came back now and her tears quickly exhausted her.

Loki hadn’t accounted for how she might react emotionally and he’d been a little worried when she couldn’t stop crying, but he had quickly come to realise that this was simply a necessary release for her and was content to wait it out.

He was a little miffed to discover that her tears only slowed to a stop because she fell asleep; he’d had ideas of watching her as he dazzled her with the sights of Asgard, but then he remembered how all she wanted to see was him and how loving her expression had been as she looked into his eyes.

He pressed a kiss to her hair and closed his eyes, content to wait for her awaken before dragging her around the palace.

For a lack of anything better to do, he moved them into a more comfortable position, then levitated the book over him and used magic to turn the pages. He had a feeling he might be needing more Midgardian magic than usual in the next few decades.

***

When Saga awoke she was unaware of the change for a while. She was used to being blind, so opening her eyes was pointless. Rather than look for a clock, she shifted slightly while she raised her hands and felt her watch. The raised but tiny ball bearing around the edge gave the hour, the ball bearing on the front gave the minutes.

It was mid-afternoon and she realised she was lying on something warm.

“Loki?”

“It’s me, love. How do you feel?”

“I’m okay, why?” Suddenly she remembered that she could see and her head shot up as her eyes flew open. “Oww!” she shielded her eyes with her hand and in a high pitched voice declared, “Bright light, bright light!”

“Saga?” he took her by shoulders and sat them both up, clearly concerned.

“I’m okay,” she quickly assured him, lowering her hand and blinking until her eyes adjusted. “It’s just a quote from Gremlins, that’s all.”

Slowly her eyes adjusted and she lowered her hand and smiled at him.

“Still as handsome as I remember,” she teased.

A smile played at the edges of his lips. “Are you all right?”

“I feel fine,” she assured him. “Better than fine, actually.” She began to laugh. “I can see! I can SEE!”

She got off the bed and began looking around, her eyes focusing on one thing for a brief second, then moving onto the next object almost most immediately.

“Oh my God,” she ran her hands over some carving in the stone pillars, “What does this mean?” Then her gaze was pulled to the ceiling, “it so high!” Then she ran to the bed, touching the posts, “What kind of wood is this?” The curtains which were tied to them, “How is it so soft?” then the bedcovers, “and these colour are so rich!”

Loki watched a she continued to make her way around the room until with a gasp, she noticed the terrace and the view beyond, then he got off the bed and joined her as she walked outside. The view out over Asgard seemed to have rendered her speechless and as she stood by the balustrade, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“No wonder you hate Midgard, coming from all this,” she whispered as she leaned back into him.

“I don’t hate it, I simply didn’t appreciate it.” 

“It’s so beautiful here,” she sniffed.

“Not crying again?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” she laughed. “I promise I won’t start bawling again.”

“Would you like me to show you around? We can’t leave the palace grounds but I can show you the gardens.”

“I’d like that,” she nodded and turned her head just enough to kiss him. “But you have to let me fix my makeup first.” She pulled away and wiped under her eyes. “The servant girl did leave the makeup she used, didn’t she?”

“It’s in the dressing room. I’m sorry you don’t have your own things but as it’s only for one more day, I think we can make do,” he said as he guided her inside and showed her the room. “The handmaiden left a few extra dresses,” he explained, while Saga made a beeline for the full length mirror.

“Oh my God!” she cried, shocked.

“What’s wrong?” he rushed up behind her and examined her reflection, but he could see nothing amiss.

“My hair!” she clutched handfuls.

“It looks lovely,” he assured her.

“But it’s so short!”

“Well you only had it trimmed recently.”

“But it used to be so long,” she wailed. “Past my shoulder blades. I know I asked for it to be cut, but I’ve never seen it before. In my head it looked like a chic Emma Watson type do but it looks more like dragged through a hedge backwards!”

She reached for a brush and tried to tame what he thought were rather attractive waves.

“I suppose I can grow it out, I’m already in the awkward-mid-length, can’t-do-anything-with-it phase.”   

“Darling,” Loki placed his hands on her shoulders. “Would you let me help?”

“You can style women’s hair?”

“No.” He ran his fingers through the base of her hair and she felt a warmth against her scalp. “But I can grow it.”

“Oh my God!” she watched in awe as her hair grew and grew.

“Say when,” he told her.

She continued to watch, playing with it as it passed her breasts.

“Tell me when to stop,” he repeated.

“I want it down to my bum!” she grinned. “I’ll trim it when it gets annoying.”

He did as she said and once he removed his hands, she spun around, watching it fan out around her.

“This is amazing! Where did you learn to do that?”

“I have my full magic back now, so synthesising a few strands of protein is child’s play.”

“Easier than the eyes?”

“Much.”

He stood back and watched a she pranced before the mirrors, laughing as both her hair and her gown swished around her. He thought he’d seen her playful side but this was more of a childlike glee, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Once she had calmed down, she sat at the dressing table to fix her makeup. The products were different to what she was used to, but she made do. The styling implements for her hair were all alien but since it now had a lot of extra weight it hung fairly straight, just how she liked it.

She then perused the gowns and chose an asymmetrical one in sky blue, which Loki helped her into.

The palace was even grander than Loki’s rooms, with ballrooms larger than cathedrals, but Saga managed to reign in her excitement a little, although she couldn’t keep the grin off her features.

She looked almost like the Aesir women around them, although their hair was almost all wavy and teased into elaborate coiffures, so her straight hair set her apart, as did her enthusiasm.

Few people spoke to them, some seemed to view the couple with distain, but Loki saw a few guards trying to repress smiles as Saga skipped past them, dragging him in her wake.

They walked through the gallery, various courtyards and cloisters, salons and studies, the library, the plate room, the great room, the throne room, three different ballrooms, and too many terraces to count. Then past the servants quarters, the guard room, the training arenas and the King’s Court, before venturing into the gardens.

The outside was just as beautiful and Loki showed her the knot garden, the Queen’s garden, the herb garden, where he had a corner for his potion ingredients, he took her through the flower garden, to the water garden, the vegetable garden, the rose garden, the public gardens, the stables and a fruit tree orchard.

Four hours later Saga was growing hungry and tired and she told Loki as much.

“I’m not surprised, we must have walked ten miles today. Well, you skipped most of it,” he teased.

Saga rounded on him, a playful grin on her lips as she danced backwards in front of him. “Not getting tired, are you?”

“I’m enjoying myself immensely,” he smiled in reply. “But I will not be accused of mistreating you because you faint from lack of sustenance.”

“Come on,” Saga laughed and reaching forward, grabbed his hand and pulled him along, trusting him to warn her if she was about to back into something. “Take me to one of these fantastic dining rooms you’ve been teasing me with all day.”

Loki tugged on her hand hard enough to pull her off balance and into his arms. She squealed in delight as he swung her into a bridal carry.

“I rather had something more intimate in mind,” he purred. “Dinner for two on my terrace, watching the sun set over Asgard while we sample some of the most delightful delicacies this realm has to offer.”

“Doesn’t sound very intimate,” she teased.

“It will be when I’m hand feeling you morsels…”

“Cute but hardly intimate.”

“While we’re both stark naked.” He brought his lips so close to her ear that they brushed the sensitive skin while he spoke. “I’m going to work you up into a frenzy then sit you on my lap, impaled on my throbbing cock, but I’m _not_ going to fuck you. I’m going to lick berry juice off your pert nipples, press juicy tidbits through your plump lips and tease your clit with some of our _spicier_ morsels, making them tingle, then throb with need. All the while my cock will be inside you, swelling and throbbing in reaction to the delightful little gasps and moans you will make, but I won’t fuck you, not until you’ve eaten every last bite.”

“Holy shit,” she whispered. “You’d better stop, I’m almost coming already.” If he could excite her this much with just his words, imagine what he could do with his body!

“You don’t wish to have a screaming orgasm in front of all these fine citizens of Asgard?” he teased. “Just imagine the looks on their faces while you writhe in pleasure, their judgment as you bite your lip to try and keep silent, but you can’t hold in pleasure that strong.”

She squeezed her thighs together to try and ease some of the pressure building there but it didn’t help, it only made matters worse.

“Imagine the nasty looks they’ll give you, they’ll say it’s because you’re a cheap harlot but the truth is, it’s envy, every one of them wants to be you, or to be with you. The women wish that their men were adventurous and skilled enough to make them come in public, while the men wish they had someone who was as erotic and depraved as you are, for any woman who would come in public, surely has-”

“Oh fuck!” she hissed, her jaw clenched in an attempt to be silent while she came in his arms. She couldn’t believe it, not once had he touched her sexually, unless you counted his lips on her ear but even so, who could come from that alone?

“Holy shit,” she panted as she recovered. “Where the fuck did you learn to do that?”

“I wasn’t sure I could do it to be honest, but you’re so responsive that I thought I ought to try.”

Saga laughed softly and rested her head against his shoulder. Even if he only kept a handful of his promises, she was in for a night to remember.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Loki had a chance to pack before leaving this time, but he was only taking a small trunk of his most precious possessions. He packed a few magical artefacts, seeds for some Asgardian plants that he used in potions and hoped to grow on Midgard. A few mementos of Frigga, magic tomes and the book of Midgardian healing magic, in case Saga should need it again.

She reclined on the bed, back wearing her Midgardian garb now, watching him pack.

So what’s an ást?” she finally remembered to ask.

“’My ást’ means ‘my love’.”

“Aww,” she smiled at him. “I ást you too.”

“Yes, I know,” he grinned salaciously at her.

“You know that when I’m upset with you now, I'm going to all you an ást-hole.”

Loki chuckled.

“And when you’re being an idiot, I’ll call you a dumb ást. And if you put on weight, you’ll be a fat ást. And when you’re being cheap, I’ll call you a tight ást.”

“I’m glad you’re a scientist not a comedian. I’m sure that starvation wouldn’t look good on you.”

Saga threw a pillow at him for his impertinence.

“You know what I’m really going to miss about this place?” she asked seriously while enjoying the shape of his butt in his leather pants as he bent over.

“The view?” he guessed.

“Well this view is stunning, but it’s coming with me,” she quipped.

He wiggled his bum, then turned and winked at her.

“Then how about the wine?”

“Nope.”

“Fine, what are you going to miss about Asgard,” he asked, perusing his book shelves for any other books me might require.

“Those shoes,” she pouted.

“Shoes?”

“Have you ever actually worn human shoes?”

“No, my boots are Asgardian.”

 “Pack spares,” she advised. “Lots of spares.”

“Why?” Loki approached with his hands held out and a pair of ladies shoes appeared there. “I can always conjure more.”

“Cool!” she got to her knees and accepted the shoes, almost reverently.

They were black with a small heel, multi-purpose. To date she’d only witnessed very minor feats of magic, nothing like creating something from nothing.

“Do they come in different colours?”

“They can come in any colour or style you would like.” With a wave of his hand, the heels grew another inch.

She lay down on her back, clutching the shoes to her chest and kicked her legs in the air in glee.

Loki chuckled as he returned to his packing, not really understanding the reasons for her happiness, but enjoying it nonetheless.

“You know, if you sold these on Earth, you’d be a millionaire overnight.”

“I will need a source of income,” he mused.

“I was only kidding.”

“I know, but it’s true. Stark resents my presence so once I have a choice, I have no intentions of living off his charity.”

Saga thought it was a pretty good idea, really. She had no idea how many pairs Loki could conjure in a day, or before he ran out of magical ‘juice’, but people were already willing to pay a small fortune for good looking shoes, how much more would they pay for ones that were also as comfortable as walking on air?

She kicked off her ballet flats and put these ones on, admiring her feet in them, until someone knocked on the door.

“Enter,” Loki called, and Saga saw Thor and an elderly man come in.

“Come to wish me good riddance?” Loki asked and realising this was Odin, Saga scrambled off the bed, still a little bit frightened of him.

She hadn’t realised he had an eye patch but then, she had never asked anyone what he looked like. He would almost appear grandfatherly but for the air of authority about him.

“I’ve come to wish you a safe journey and to hope that you find your time on Midgard enlightening.”

Loki rolled his eyes and fastened his trunk. “I’m ready.”

“Then let us depart,” Thor smiled. As they all headed out, Odin seemed to position himself beside Saga.

Loki noticed and as they fell back, he kept glancing over his shoulder at her and slowing down.

Although she didn’t need him, Buddy walked beside Saga still, and she took some comfort that not only was he made using Stark technology, but he was programmed to attack at the right commands.

“You go ahead,” Odin ordered Loki. “We will catch up.”

Loki was reluctant but Thor put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him forward. Saga gave him a nod, trying to show that she was okay.

“You must think quite ill of me, after recent events.” Odin said once sufficient distance had formed between the two pairs.

“If I’m right about you, I don’t think as badly of you as you might think.”

“Oh? Why don’t you enlighten me?”

Saga observed him for a moment, judging if he was in the mood to smite her down or not, then she decided that even if he was, she really wasn’t the type to lie. She was a scientist so the truth was important to her.

“I think you were testing us,” she said. “You wanted to know if I was strong enough to fix him, and that impossible dilemma you gave him was because you wanted to see if he’d already lost some of his arrogance.”

“I had to,” he admitted. “You must understand, my son is not an easy man to love.”

Saga gave him serious side eye. “And you are?”

A small smile actually broke through his stony façade for a second.

“You’re very wise for one so young,” he observed. “You will be a great help to my son.”

“You’re not very wise for one so old,” Saga couldn’t help saying. She was still angry at Odin, evidently more angry than afraid.

“Oh?”

“You think I can ‘fix’ Loki.”

“You have already made a start.”

“I didn’t do anything,” she told him. “At most, I gave him a judgement free environment where he was free to be himself… Any changes in Loki, any rehabilitation, any healing, that’s down to Loki, so give credit where it’s due… And remember that he’s served your people well for nearly a thousand years, and he’s been a villain for less than five.”

“Are you finished?” His tone was slightly hostile.

Saga could think of nothing else she wanted to add and her courage was starting to fail her, so in a rather sheepish voice she replied, “No.”

“Good. I shall try to remember your words.”

Saga looked at him, askance.

“Much as I might like to, I cannot show lenience. You must realise that I am not just ruler of this realm, I am protector of all nine realms and I cannot afford to be seen as weak. Loki took my throne, but that does not mean that I wish him harm, eve when I am angry with him.”

“I think I understand,” she assured him. She didn’t, but she could imagine. “But you have to realise that you’re his father.”

“For the longest time I left the parenting to my wife. I can see now, that was a mistake... I’ve made a lot of mistakes when it comes to my boys.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Odin looked at her. “I suppose because I think you deserve to understand the situation you find yourself in.”

“And because I’m no threat to you; you can afford to show weakness with me.”

“I dare say there’s some truth in your words,” he agreed.

“I think Loki deserves to understand more than I do,” she observed. “I’m sure he has lots of questions.”

“He won’t listen,” Odin noted with sadness.

“Not now, no, he’s still too hurt and angry, but you guys live forever, pretty much, and in 20 years maybe he’ll be ready. Between now and then you can give him some answers in a letter or something. Or at least leave a letter with your will to let him know he was more to you than just a political pawn.”

Odin kept walking, is eyes resolutely facing forward.

“He is more than a pawn, right? I don’t see you going to all this trouble for someone you don’t love.”

“I will take your words under advisement,” Odin assured her, which was probably the best answer she was going to get.

Saga could see they were approaching the entrance to the palace and that a carriage was waiting for them outside, so she knew her time was coming to an end.

“Be careful who you take that advice from,” she pleaded. “Most people here seem prejudiced against him, but try to listen to someone on Loki’s side too.”

“Someone like you?”

“I don’t think I’ll be alive for long enough, I was thinking of Thor.”

“Loki hates Thor.”

“Loki hates the favouritism you showed Thor, there’s a difference.”

“You’re saying I bred the resentment between them?”

“Yes... Things are improving though,” she tried to be optimistic. “Without you around to aggravate tensions, they get on well most of the time.”

“I didn’t think they interacted very often.”

“I don’t think Loki interacted much with anyone in the beginning.”

“Until he met you.”

“Yes.”

“And you say you aren’t helping him.”

“I didn’t say that. Everything’s easier with a friend by your side but equally, no one can make anyone else do something. Helping someone is very different from fixing them. I’ll always help your son because I love him, but I won’t claim responsibility for fixing or failing to fix him, because that isn’t something anyone can do. Besides, I don’t think he needs to be fixed. He need to come to terms what he learned a few year ago and to remember who he used to be.”

“You think he can go back to being that boy?”

“No, but I think he can go forward and become something more, something better.”

“I hope you’re right,” Odin said softly but with sincerity as they approached Thor and Loki.

Thor said a rather formal goodbye to Odin, then he climbed into the carriage with Saga. Loki was about to follow when Odin called his name and he turned back, not because he wanted to, but because he dare not defy the Allfather, and that resentment showed in his expression.

“Loki,” Odin stepped closer. “I know things are difficult between us but…” he seemed to struggle for a moment and Loki’s resentment slipped a second, replaced by confusion. “You used to fight for me, for your brother and for the realm. I’m not foolish enough to believe I could ever have your loyalty again, but I hope that on Midgard, you find something worth fighting for.”

Odin held out a small wooden box and when Loki opened it, he found an apple inside and looked up in shock.

“Is this…?”

“The only viable fruit of Idun to grow since the fire giants sacked her lands four hundred years ago.”

“And you’re giving it to me?”

“I am. The box is a powerful stasis spell, so the fruit will not begin to spoil unless it’s removed. Anyone who takes a bite shall gain our lifespan and other associated gifts. Use it wise-” he caught himself. “Use it as you see fit.”

Loki was too taken aback to know quite how to react and even if it was gratitude that he felt, he wasn’t nearly ready to show it.

“Oh… I…”

“They’re waiting for you,” Odin said, stepping back. “Until next we meet.”

“Indeed,” Loki nodded awkwardly.

“Loki,” Thor stuck his head out of the carriage. “Don’t tell me you forgot your fylgjur again?”

“At least I always remembered it,” Loki shot back a he climbed into the carriage. “The Allfather had to put a summoning charm on Mjolnir because you always forgot it.”

Odin had carved two fylgja for both his sons, Loki’s fylgjur was a cat. The totem was an ancient tradition, supposed to connect a warrior with his ancestors wisdom and wile Thor had broken his within weeks, Loki had treasured his.

The Allfather had assumed that Loki felt the spiritual connection since he had always been sensitive to magic, but now he could see what he’d been unwilling to see then, that Loki valued it because Odin had carved it for him.

The boy had asked many questions about how he made it, why he chose a cat, did he imbibe the totem with magic, and many others. Odin had been reluctant to grow close to the boy then, fearful that his Jotun nature would show itself in some way and Odin didn’t want to have to destroy someone he loved, so he tried not to love Loki.

His distrust hadn’t lasted long, fifty years or so but by then, patterns were in place and it was hard to override them.

Still, Loki took his fylgjur with him everywhere, even into battle as he grew. The others teased him for it and Loki grew skilled at hiding it, but he kept that totem with him in any new or dangerous situations.

Odin wondered where it was now and if it had survived recent events. Even if he couldn’t admit the harm he had done his youngest son, his heart had felt heavy for a long while now, weighed down by guilt, but Saga’s words had given him hope.

It would be a very long journey but perhaps one day, in the very distant future, they could be reconciled.

***

Saga spent the journey to the bifrost gazing out of the window, getting her only view of Asgard outside of the palace, and awed by everything she saw and asking what everything was. Thor answered patiently, amused by her enthusiasm.

Loki kept his hand on the box in his pocket, wondering what it meant. Obviously it was Saga’s key to immortality but he couldn’t help but worry that Odin had ulterior motives. Even if he didn’t, who said that Saga even wanted it. She was human and to her, immortality meant watching everyone else she cared about die.There was plenty of time to consider all that however.

On the surface little had changed, he mused, and yet everything had changed.

Loki was still technically a prisoner, except that with his magic back, nothing the humans possessed could hold him.

Saga still lived and worked in the tower but with her sight back, that could easily change. Would Loki be ‘allowed’ to leave with her and if not, did he want to break the mortal’s rules?

Thor’s role also seemed to be chancing, from Loki’s keeper to Loki’s… well, maybe not brother, Loki wasn’t sure he was ready for that, but his friend and fellow warrior was all right.

How would the Avengers react to recent changes? Tony, Clint and Steve would distrust him even more with magic, but restoring Saga’s sight might buy him a little good will to prove himself.

And that was the biggest possible change right there. Did he want to prove himself? Did he want to become Midgard’s protector?

Saga thanked Heimdall before they left and Loki kept a steadying arm around her as they travelled knowing how disorienting the bifrost could be.

“I actually think that was easier without sight,” she said, still holding tightly to him on the roof of Stark Tower.

“Are you all right?” Loki asked, holding her until her equilibrium retuned.

“Yeah,” she pulled away slightly and after a few moments, steadied herself and let go completly. “I’m fine.”

Seconds later everyone else in the tower descended on them and celebrated with Saga, who was quickly swept away and inside the building with the others, leaving Loki and Buddy alone.

“There’s something I didn’t stop to consider,” he told the dog. “Maybe she doesn’t need either of us now.”

Buddy whined and Loki rolled his eyes at himself.

“And now I’m talking to machinery. Perfect.” He headed inside but turned back when the dog didn’t follow.

It had been released from service, Saga had changed the operation mode before they left this morning, so until it found a new companion the robotic dog was free, much like Loki and like Loki, it didn’t know what to do with itself.

“Come on,” he told it and happy to have an instruction, the dog followed him back to his room.

***

Saga was giggling as she entered Loki’s room, clearly inebriated.

“Hey, where were you?” she asked. “I missed you.”

“Not enough to come looking,” Loki observed, not even lowering his book as he spoke.

“Hey, I told Jeeves to tell you to get your butt up to the party.”

“And I silenced Jeeves weeks ago, when Tony began having him play annoying messages at random intervals.”

“Oh, I forgot about that,” she made her way over and half fell onto the couch beside him. “I’m sorry.”

Loki wasn’t ready to forgive her yet.

“I really am sorry.”

“Six hours,” he muttered.

“What?”

“You were gone for six hours. If you really missed me, you didn’t exactly have to go far to find me, now did you?”

“I’m sorry, I was celebrating, okay?”

“I suppose now your sight is restored, I’m surplus to requirements.”

“Hey! That’s unfair and you know it!”

“Is it? Because since we’ve returned to this realm, you have spent exactly three minutes in my company, one feeling unsteady and now two more arguing with me.”

“You’re the one arguing!” her head really was too fuzzy for this. “Besides, you could have come and found me, you know.”

“And spend hours being glared and viewed with suspicion? That actually isn’t a very good time for me.”

“Well  maybe if you could get over yourself for a second, you would know that Tony and Steve want to thank you for what you did for me and they said to tell you they’re willing to give you a second chance!”

“I want nothing from them!” Loki hissed.

“Well if it makes you feel any better, Clint still hates you and if you  keep this up much longer, I will too!” She got up and stormed into the bedroom, bursting into tears a soon as the door was closed behind her.

It wasn’t that his words were particularly offensive but the alcohol had made her rather overly emotional. She had returned here thinking she and Loki would share some loving, and instead she been attacked and accused of using him. It was rather a shocking turn of events and although she hated it, her tears kept falling.

It was still early but she was feeling tired, so she partially undressed and climbed into bed. She only meant to doze for a few minutes but the excitement of the last few days combined with alcohol meant that she soon fell into a sound sleep.

***

Saga awoke early the next morning but with a pounding head and a decidedly queasy stomach. She groaned and threw her arm over her eyes since even the little light coming through her lids was too much in her fragile state.

“You stayed,” Loki said from beside her.

Saga groaned in reply.

“Why aren’t you in your rooms?” Loki persisted.

“Do you want me to go?” she asked, her voice pained, and not just because of the hangover.

“No, I want to know why you stayed.”

“Can’t this wait?”

“Wait for what?”

“Until my head stops pounding and I don’t feel like I’m going to throw up any second.”

Loki huffed and touched the arm she held over her eyes, then she felt something like a mild electric shock travel through her body.

Slowly she removed her arm, wondering at how the pain and nausea could be gone.

“What did you do?”

“It’s another spell from the Midgardian book. Very easy,” he said as though it was nothing.

She looked over at him. “Thank you.”

“Now will you answer my question?” his expression was inscrutable.

“I’m here because I want to be,” she explained.

“But we fought last night.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I was inconsiderate.”

“But you stayed!” he was becoming frustrated.

“Of course I stayed, we’re together and I love you. The only way I’m leaving is if you want me to go.”

Loki continued to watch her, his mood still impenetrable.

“Do you want me to go?” she asked in a small voice, then afraid of the answer she rushed on before he could reply. “Because I _am_ sorry, I just got carried away and I thought you didn’t want to be there, then I had too much to drink and I just didn’t think about things from your perspective. I’m sorry, but you need to understand that couples fight, we’ll fight, I’ll upset you again because I’m not perfect and sometimes I’m inconsiderate and thoughtless and insensitive and unkind, and you’ll upset me because you aren’t perfect either, but I’m not walking away. I don’t ever want to be without you, Loki. Please don’t throw this away before it’s really begun.”

“Saga-”

“Or is it the ageing thing?” she asked, one of her own insecurities coming to the fore. “Are you worried because I’m going to get old and die and you… won’t? Because I get that it’s hard to fall in love with someone you know you’re going to lose but-”

“Why are you talking so much?”

“Because I’m nervous!” She groaned and pulled a pillow from under her, using it to cover her face.

“You’re behaving very oddly,” Loki observed, pulling the pillow away. Saga fought him and they wrestled until Loki used the kind of force she couldn’t have dreamed of accessing, so she replaced the pillow with her hands.

“You are not normally insensitive, nor prone to verbal diarrhoea, nor have you expressed any worries about my longevity before.”

Saga sighed and lowered her hands and turned towards him, snuggling against his side so she didn’t have to look in his eyes. Loki’s arm went around her by reflex.

“I’m worried,” she admitted.

“About what?”

“Us!” she took a deep breath. “On Asgard everything was like this lovely dream but back here, everything’s changed.”

“Nothing has changed.”

“I can see!” she said as if he was an idiot.

“I know, I was there, remember?”

“No, Loki, I don’t…” she sighed and took a deep breath. “Before I lost my sight I met with Tony about once a month, then suddenly he’s in my hospital room every single day, sometimes twice a day. I’d met almost all the Avengers before this happened but just in passing, then I move in, and this was back when this place was full of workers and all the apartments were occupied, but suddenly they’re going out of their way to make friend with me and help me and do stuff for me. And it wasn’t just them. In some ways, going blind made me the most popular girl in the room and even though I hated being made to feel incapable…”

“You don’t want to lose the friend you’ve made,” he guessed.

“Or you,” she admitted.

 “Your relationships with some people will change,” he admitted. “But I was never your friend because you were blind. I never went out of my way to help you, unless you asked for it, and I chose to tell you about the cure. If I was worried things would change, I would have just kept silent.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes, I’m more than selfish enough for that.”

“You’re bad,” Saga laughed and swatted his chest.

“Yes, I’m the bad guy. I thought you knew that?” he teased.

Saga laughed harder and raised her head, looking into his eye. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“It’s all right, I think I understand now.”

“Understand?”

“Yes, your fears made you distance yourself from me for a time.”

She thought about it and had to agree that perhaps her fear of rejection kept her from coming to find him earlier the day before… or maybe she had been hoping he would come and find her.

“It reminds me of when Tony first found us and you thought I was using you, and I thought you were using me,” she said.

“Hmm,” he murmured. “You have a point.”

“You expected me to leave you after our fight last night, didn’t you”

“I was surprised when you stayed.”

“If you didn’t do what he wanted, your Dad grew-”

“He’s not-”

“I know, I know. When you didn’t do what Odin wanted, he grew distant and withheld affection, didn’t he?”

“Yes. It seems that we both have problems. We need to find a solution.”

“No we don’t. There are no perfect relationships. We just need to accept that we’ll both screw up from time to time, and try not to jump to conclusions.” She stretched forward and kissed him softly.

Loki’s arms tightened around her and he tried to deepen the kiss, but she pulled her head away.

“Uh uh, that’s all you get until I’ve brushed my teeth. I don’t just have morning breath, I have hangover breath.”

“You should shower as well,” he nodded.

“Do I smell?” she reared away, shocked.

“No, I just haven’t fucked you in the shower for quite a while.”

Saga swatted his shoulder but as she headed into the bathroom, she was cackling with laughter.


End file.
